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Chapter 51 : Dreg
Chapter 51 : Dreg
"Hah... Hah."
Ragna fell to the ground. He was exhausted from the battle. He didn''t think that Crane''s group could actually force him to show his blood-related skill.
To think that Crane also possessed such willpower!
"This kind of battle isn''t good for both of us. It will be bad if he continues to pester me. I think I should find a way to make peace with him before anyone goes overboard," Ragna murmured.
There was no such thing as an irreconcilable grudge. If both parties found that their battles weren''t worth it, they would prefer to make peace instead of continuing their war. If it continued, the only thing that would happen was both parties suffering losses.
Naturally, making peace also had its own complexity. If one side was too weak or meek, the other side would pressure them to cough up some profit. That was the reason why Ragna fought all of them. The first one was to check other party''s strength and the second one was to establish his own position!
He wanted to show them that he was no pushover!
Still, the battle was dangerous and it nearly cost him his life. The penalty for dying in the game was a reduction in level and penalties to skill proficiency. At this stage of the game, that kind of penalty was still somewhat bearable but it would continue to be more and more severe in the future.
Also, he felt something strange when he used the Essence Manipulation earlier. He felt like someone was watching him. Furthermore, his soul was also a bit shaken. It was as if the Ancient Blood Master rejected his action of revealing the strength of blood.
"I should be more careful in the future," Ragna shook his head.
After a while, he had finished resting and his health and mana were already full. He decided to continue his journey to the Strange Ruin.
"Wait... what''s that?" He found something that glowed in a blue light right at the place where Crane died.
"Don''t tell me..." He was having a bad premonition. Nevertheless, he continued to walk toward it. When he arrived, his back instantly broke into a cold sweat.
"Oh shit."
It was the most important part of the Blue Salamander set. The Staff.
...
"A.. Achoo!"
At the outside of Raka''s boarding house, a youth could be seen hiding inside a car. He was silently observing the house, especially the room where Raka lived in.
"Wuu... Master is so cruel. To think that he forced me to watch over him until morning," The youth had an amiable look on his face but currently, he was weeping in agony. The youth was obviously, Banu.
"Raka, what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into. It has been calm for years but you suddenly became strange," Banu sighed. He was concerned and worried about his junior brother. But it wasn''t to the point of silently watching him out this late at the night.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Everything was because of Mr. Romi. He was very protective toward Raka and sometimes.. he became unreasonable because of it.
"Urgh. I know this isn''t your fault but it makes me suffer! I think I should be rougher on you. That''s the only way to vent my anger Muahaha.. achoo!" Banu sneezed again. Bandung at night was a bit freezing after all.
Actually, the current technology had birthed to a decent heater for everyone to use inside the car. However, even though it was already very efficient, it still cost some energy that Banu was unwilling to waste.
That''s just the way he was, a head-strong environmentalist.
"Hrr.. Raka.. Just you wait..."
Obviously, Raka himself was oblivious to the future predicament he would be getting himself into.
...
Back in the forest.
After walking for a few minutes, Ragna finally arrived at the lake beside the Strange Ruin. He washed his face and some parts of his body that were stained by the blood from the previous battle.
Actually, there was no need to clean anything. The system will automatically remove the blood stains after a while. Nevertheless, Ragna still used the opportunity to calm his mind. He needed to get to his prime state before entering the Ruin. It was one of the things he learned from his Uncle. Meditating was the key in achieving great performance.
After calming his mind, he got up and went straight to the Ruin. While heading toward it, he realized something that was a bit strange. The place should be packed with Lizardmen based on his yesterday''s experience. However, the current atmosphere was too desolate. There were still some Lizardmen who wandered, but their number was incomparable to yesterday.
It wasn''t even close.
The same thing actually happened when he was leading the first batch of Drom''s scouts to the place where the Black Wolves were. He couldn''t find them anywhere and that was why he decided to use the Deer instead.
''It seems that this place is more mysterious than I thought''
When fighting mobs, they would immediately respawn after the assigned time period passed. It was normal for rare monsters to have a longer respawn time. However, no matter how long it was, it shouldn''t exceed one day or instance. They weren''t a BOSS, after all.
Ragna shook his head. He was always keen and meticulous. And sometimes it led him to be overly cautious toward everything.
He quickly entered the Ruin. The strange symbols inscribed on the wall reminded him of the Temple where he got the Blood Master''s legacy. Even though they were different, the aura of ancientness was similar.
He continued his way toward the center of the Ruin. After touching the tile that served as a key, the symbols on the wall suddenly glowed with a resplendent light.
Whuung!
He watched the scene while maintaining his calm. There were too many strange things that could happen when challenging a mysterious entity. In fact, there was also the possibility that this Ruin was actually a trap.
It was at this moment that Ragna suddenly sensed something!
*Rustle*
"SHIT!"
He quickly turned around and dashed toward the Ruin''s entrance. He could see that there was a black shadow that was moving with incredible speed. Because the shadow was already near the entrance, to begin with, Ragna could only catch a glimpse of it
It was a player!
He was actually being followed by someone!
Of course, Ragna didn''t have the time to be surprised. He quickly chased after the shadow while chanting for his spell. He needed to catch him/her before he lost the sight of it.
"EARTH WALL!"
Fortunately, he was lucky that his chant was faster than the time it took for the shadow to escape. A huge earthen wall materialized in front of the shadow, blocking its way.
Ragna approached the shadow while silently chanting for another spell. He could see that the person was nowhere near ordinary. To be able to silently follow him without getting noticed, its skill had to be excellent.
The person slowly turned around, revealing its facial feature. It turned out that it was a man.
He was clad in a dark blue cloak similar to Ragna''s Shadow Wolf''s set. However, it was on a different level. From what Ragna could discern, it was a set exclusive to level 35+ players, the Azure Mantis Set.
If Crane''s Blue Salamander''s Set could be considered rare, then the Azure Mantis''s Set would be a realm higher than it. Only the real elites of a guild could wear it. In fact, its worth was already clear from its level requirement.
The youth had white and long hair, but he tied his hair back so that his eyes could be seen. In his cheek was a black tattoo which further emphasized his terrifying presence. He was the one who spoke to Crane back at the tavern, he was Dreg.
His eyes were cold but strangely there was a hint of playful smile hidden within. Before Ragna could speak to him, he opened his mouth and said.
"Ragna? Shall we fight?"
Chapter 52 : Dreg (2)
Chapter 52 : Dreg (2)
"Ragna? Shall we fight?"
Ragna stared at the young man in front of him with caution. The fact that he could escape from his perception was something out of ordinary. If not for the mistake he did at the last moment, Ragna would never have noticed him.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Ragna asked coldly.
"Me? I''m just a passing thief. Though, I''m not a normal one at that. I only want one thing, and that''s the contribution points from that place," Dreg said while pointing at the Ruin with his eyes.
"I found it first"
"Doesn''t matter," Dreg replied almost instantly.
Ragna frowned, he was unwilling to fight with this man he had just met. Based on his equipment alone, he was qualified to be called an elite among elites. Ragna wasn''t sure that he could beat him in a one on one fight. Players aren''t as simple as monsters, after all.
However, when there was no room for discussion, power became the only thing to rely upon!
Ragna quickly sprang into action by speeding toward Dreg.
"Then don''t blame me for being merciless!" He shouted while preparing the chant for his spell.
Dreg''s eyes glittered. He was already following Ragna ever since the fight between him and the first wave of Crane''s group. Although there was a lot of distance between them, he had watched the fight with great clarity.
Naturally, he knew how strong Ragna was. That was also the reason why he didn''t act at that time. He was unwilling to offend him as someone who had terrifying talent.
However, deep inside, he was itching for a battle! That was the true attitude of an exceptional player! That feeling when you encounter a
strong enemy and couldn''t resist the urge to spar!
Now that he saw an opportunity, he naturally wouldn''t miss it. Obviously, the contribution points he could gain from the discovery of the Strange Ruin held a significant part of it.
''Let''s see how strong you are,'' muttered Dreg inwardly while brandishing both of his daggers. The dagger was pure black in color and there was no light coming out from it. It was as if it could absorb the light in its surroundings. The dagger was actually a rare weapon that was ranked a whole realm higher than his armor, the two-handed dagger, Twin Night!
Ragna was also a bit shaken when he saw Dreg''s weapon. He knew that it was a rare dagger capable of removing any sound and light when attacking. For a profession like thieves, having this kind of weapon was akin to sprouting wings for a tiger.
However, who was Ragna? He wouldn''t cower in front of anyone. In fact, his blood was boiling in the same manner as Dreg did. They were both a battle maniac!
Before Dreg could reach him, his Earth Spike had finished casting. With a droning sound, the ground right in front of Dreg shook, revealing a sharp spike completely made of earth. Ragna had chosen the best timing for this spell. He chose the moment right when Dreg''s foot was about to step, rendering him unable to change his direction.
Shua!
Suddenly, Dreg''s body vanished into wisps of shadows. He instantly reappeared beside Ragna''s earth spike, completely avoiding the attack.
Unscathed, he continued his charge. They weren''t far apart by now, it would only take them two to three seconds at most to clash. Obviously, it wouldn''t be enough for Ragna to cast another spell.
Maybe, he could cast another Earth Spike, but Dreg could just dodge it like before.
Nonetheless, he still started his chant. There was no way that someone could interrupt him unless the situation needed his full concentration. And that was when he was using the Essence Manipulation.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
Seeing Ragna who was bold enough to start chanting for another spell, Dreg didn''t panic. Based on his understanding, the spell Ragna was casting was Boulder Smash. He would undoubtedly dodge his attack first and then counterattack with the spell at a point-blank range.
Dreg sneered, this kind of development was already predicted by him. His body suddenly turned into a shadow, splitting into three clones which were separated by a bit of distance from each other.
Shadow Doppelganger!
At this stage of the game, thieves weren''t able to create a clone to confuse their enemy. Not to mention two, even if he could only create one image, that would already be astonishing.
To have this kind of skill, it seemed like Dreg had a hidden profession, or at least a fortuitous encounter himself.
Ragna backed up a bit. Due to Dreg using Shadow Doppelganger, his assault was halted by a moment, enabling Ragna to open a bit distance between them.
"You can''t run!" Dreg shouted, his three bodies suddenly turned darker. Their speed increased dramatically, shortening the distance by almost in an instant.
Ragna''s eyes widened, his hand quickly turned into a fist, which was shining with Crimson color. Seeing that Dreg was already in front of him, it was now the time for a close-combat.
BANG! BANG!
Ragna''s fists parried both of Dreg''s daggers. Seeing the scene in front of him, Dreg couldn''t help but be shocked. How could Ragna be bold to parry his attack!? It must be understood that an Agile-Mage like how he presumed Ragna would be, had a paper-like health. He had accepted the fact that Ragna was a freak and his stats was also spread to Strength, explaining his terrifying physical attack.
But to also have a considerable amount of Endurance? Brother, how greedy do you want to be?!
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
All three of Dreg''s clones were unable to hit Ragna. They were all either dodged or parried by him. It made Dreg a bit shocked, but he already saw Ragna''s astonishing battle-sense and had made enough preparation for it.
''4... 5... It should be coming by now!" Dreg thought inwardly. 5 seconds have passed since Ragna started chanting.
He quickly moved his clones in a way to surround Ragna. His clones and real body circled Ragna in a triangular formation. A black rune and a dark glint appeared in the Twin Night he held. He was launching his strongest attack, Despotic Stab!
''33% Chance, let''s see whether it''s me or you who''ll die!''
It was at this moment that Ragna unleashed his spell. Dreg only felt that the ground beneath his feet suddenly turned soft. The spell Ragna cast wasn''t Boulder Smash, but it was actually Quagmire!
His movement was greatly hindered by the Quagmire. Especially because he wasn''t the least bit prepared for it. However, it only took him a moment to stabilize himself. For a veteran player like him, this kind of spell could only slow him, not stop him.
"A puny Quagmire! It seems like I thought too highly of you!" Dreg exclaimed. The Quagmire wasn''t able to disrupt his attack, and Ragna was still in the same predicament as before.
But what Ragna did next shock him to the core. Ragna was actually closing his eyes!
Dreg was surprised to see Ragna''s reaction. Because of the distance that separated him before, he only knew that Ragna could deflect a magic attack using his skill. He had no knowledge whatsoever regarding how terrifying Ragna''s Essence Manipulation was!
After closing his eyes, Ragna could sense all the essences in his surrounding. He could sense which was Dreg''s real body!
It was the one who was in front of him!
The crimson colored glow in his hand hadn''t disappeared yet. Facing Dreg''s real body, he quickly readied his stance in preparation to receive Dreg''s attack.
All of the clones were in a swinging motion of the Despotic Stab. But the clones were unable to inflict any real damage, that''s why Ragna chose to ignore them.
''SHIT! How could he choose the right one!''
Dreg cursed inwardly. This fellow''s luck is just too godly! However... that was still not enough to kill him!
Dreg''s pupils turned purple and his body slightly trembled. Ragna who was right in front of him naturally could perceive it. There''s something strange happening!
It was at this moment that he could see the essences in Dreg''s real body vanished. It suddenly turned into a mere clone!
He quickly turned around but he was shocked to see that the one he thought was a clone had become Dreg''s real body!
It was all too late! The Despotic Stab was already right in front of him!
Clenching his teeth, Ragna could only do a desperate measure. He activated his Essence Manipulation again. While trying his hardest to dodge the attack, he also swung his fist to counterattack at the same time!
''If I can''t dodge, then I won''t let you come out unharmed too!''
BAM!
Both of the attacks hit each other. While Ragna was suffering from the Despotic Stab, Dreg was also thrown from the full force of Crimson Claw Strike. A bloody gash could be seen in his chest, Ragna''s health had instantly dropped into the red bar because of this attack only.
If it wasn''t because of his instantaneous reaction from the Essence Manipulation, the attack would trigger Critical Hit, instantly killing him!
Obviously, Dreg was nowhere near okay. He was a pure Agility-Strength thief, his health was mediocre from the start. It was only because of his high level and the Azure Mantis Set that he was able to hold against Ragna''s attack, leaving him also in the red bar.
Dreg slowly got up from the ground. Because of the Quagmire, he wasn''t able to do the task quickly.
''Wait... don''t tell me that the reason he cast Quagmire was to...,'' Dreg suddenly realized something. He unconsciously trembled from the idea that he just thought. He frantically looked around for Ragna while still being submerged in the Quagmire. Unfortunately, he was met with the figure of Ragna pointing his palm toward him.
Just from the magical undulation he emitted, it was clear that the spell had finished chanting.
Checkmate.
Chapter 53 : Invasion
Chapter 53 : Invasion
"Checkmate," Ragna said slowly while holding on to his gravely wounded chest.
Dreg''s expression was one of a shock. Never could he have thought that the spell which Ragna cast before was to prevent him from running.
He didn''t even use the spell to help him in the clash. He held that much confidence in himself!
Even though he suffered a bit from it, everything still went as he expected. Dreg was entangled by the Quagmire, unable to dodge Ragna''s quick Earth Spike.
Magical symbol started to form beneath his feet at a rapid rate. At his last moment, Dreg didn''t show any resignation. In fact, he had a slight smile on his face. The battle was fair, and his loss was justified. There''s no need to feel resigned, only by first admitting one''s shortcoming that one could grow.
Dreg still had rooms for improvement. A lot of them.
Just when the spell was about to be unleashed, Ragna suddenly sensed an intense feeling of danger. He abruptly canceled the spell and crouched until his head touched to ground.
SHUA!
Three arrows brushed past him with terrifying speed. If Ragna were just half a second late, those arrows would''ve burrowed itself into his body. With his current health, the outcome would undoubtedly be his death.
Ragna quickly looked at the direction of the arrow. He could faintly see three archers shooting from the direction a bit farther than the Ruin. It was coming from the area opposite the Base.
The archers had a robust body filled with muscle. Their clothing looks different from regular NPCs and Players. They wore a tribal-like clothing that emitted a faint light from the runes inscribed in the various part of it. The most distinct characteristic was their red skin. Yes, their skin was red, similar to blood.
Ragna quickly glanced at Dreg. The only possible explanation was that the Red Archers were his reinforcements. However, Dreg''s equally shocked expression made him discard his previous thought.
Ragna quickly recovered. He sped toward Dreg while restarting his chant. He needed to kill Dreg first no matter what!
Seeing Ragna''s killing intent, how could Dreg not understand what his intention is? He instantly stood up and retreated to the direction of the base. It seemed like God didn''t want him to die today.
Ragna chased him, but the Red Archers once again released their arrows. Two of them went to Ragna, while the other went to Dreg''s position.
Relying on their astonishing battle-sense, they dodged the arrows quite easily. However, those arrows still hindered their movement speed, making it a bit hard to retreat.
While still retreating, Ragna pointed his palm to Dreg''s moving figure. A huge Earth Spike sprang, but it only hit a shadow. Now that Dreg had been given time to prepare, he naturally wouldn''t be affected by such a random attack.
Ragna gritted his teeth; this fellow is as slippery as an eel. It took him a long and well-thought plan to be able to trap Dreg. Now that the situation had been different, he couldn''t come up with another plan. Plus, almost all of his skills had been exposed, leaving him with a smaller room to improvise.
Pang! Pang! Pang!
The sound of arrows hitting the ground could be heard. Both of them tried their best to run. From the looks of it, there were more than just the three archers. Ragna and Dreg tried their hardest to discern the number of the enemies.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Strange.. There''s the sound of footsteps. But the number couldn''t be counted. No, it wasn''t that the number was uncountable, but it was just too numerous.
Both of their expression turned pale. Ragna and Dreg instinctively looked at each other. Seeing each other''s expression, they were sure that they were thinking about the same thing.
"DAMN!" They both cursed loudly. "It''s an Invasion!"
In the Astral Realm, there''s a common event that''s happening throughout every city. The Invasion.
The Invasion is an event where the natives of Astral Realm would commence a full sized attack toward the City''s Army. They would attack the base and force them into a war. A massive war.
The natives were different from the monsters because they had appearances similar to human. However, because of their red skin and slightly different features than human, they were called as Red Demons.
A normal red demon had a combat capability similar to human''s NPC army. Their differences resided mainly in their tribal equipment and lack of disciplines. Their level was in the range of 40 to 50, with their commander being in 60.
The first Invasion happened in the City Capital''s Astral Realm. From the footings and videos that the players had released, their combat capability was overall slightly lower than the Army. Adding the help of the players, the battle became one-sided. Though, it took them a few days to finally emerge as a winner.
Other City''s Astral Realm also encountered the same invasion, but the time wasn''t fixed. Even now, at the third day of the quest, there were still about half of the cities that hadn''t encountered the Invasion.
The battle had huge benefits towards the Army and Players. The experience gained was tremendous. Plus, the materials and loots that dropped were of high quality. Everyone anticipated the day that the Invasion would come. They believed that the sole reason for this expedition was to repel the invasion of the Red Demons. Everything made sense because it explained the reason why the Army issued the Sub-Quest to scout.
However, there was always danger behind every opportunity. Every time the Invasion happened, a huge number of casualty also followed. Most of it came from the players that got killed by the first wave of the Invasion stampede. Because the players were spread throughout the realm, they couldn''t even resist the might of the Red Demons. Furthermore, the forest was their home ground. Even if they lacked the discipline, they still had the advantage of their mobility.
Ragna and Dreg were anxious. Obviously, they weren''t unwilling to become the sacrificial pawns for this Invasion.
While frantically dodging the arrows, their eyes met each other.
"Hey," Dreg broke the silence by calling Ragna
"What?" Ragna replied while coldly staring at him.
"Don''t give me that look. Hear me out first, would you?"
Ragna frowned, "Go on."
"I think we should cooperate," He said while smiling a bit bashfully.
Ragna had an expression of disbelief when he heard what Dreg said. He immediately started his chant without even replying to him.
"No, no, don''t start the chant," Before the Earth Spike could hit him, Dreg had vanished into flecks of shadow. "Come on, bro. You''ll never be able to hit me!"
"Try me," Ragna replied coldly.
Dreg sighed, but he didn''t stop trying, "Look, you are stronger than me but if we fight in this situation, there''ll be no winner. If we are playing a board game, we are stuck in a stalemate. If we continue the fight, there''s no guarantee that you''ll win. Plus, I know that both of us had the capability to just flip the table, making both sides lose."
After hearing what Dreg said, Ragna''s expression softened. He silently admitted that it was indeed the truth. If he pushed Dreg into a corner, there''ll be no guarantee that he could escape from Dreg''s desperate attack unscathed.
Seeing his words had an effect, Dreg became even more spirited, "If we cooperate, there''s almost a hundred percent chance that we could safely escape to the base. About the contribution points..." Dreg let out a bashful smile, "Let''s split it in half! Don''t you agr-"
Before he could finish his word, a huge boulder flew through him at an incredible speed. Fortunately for him, he could avoid the attack after dodging desperately.
"Bro, you are too despicable! Shameless!" Dreg shouted angrily.
"You are the one who''s being shameless! I found the ruin myself and won the duel fairly! Now you said that you wanted to split the contribution points by half? Just go to hell!"
Dreg sighed, seeing that the archers were closing in their distance, he became more frantic. Because of their scuffle, their speed was lowered, making the archers able to catch up.
Dreg gritted his teeth, "How about this! The Ruin''s contribution point is all yours! But let''s split the reward for discovering the Invasion by half. We found it together after all!"
Hearing Dreg''s reasonable offer, Ragna was a bit perplexed. He agreed to what Dreg had said, but how could he just believe in him?
There was no way to guarantee that he wouldn''t be backstabbed, after all.
The sounds of footsteps were starting to get louder and louder. If they kept on fighting like this, the Red Demon''s Army would soon catch up.
Ragna couldn''t just ignore Dreg. Thieves were capable of long ranged attack by using their throwing weapons. Ragna was sure that Dreg''s long ranged attack wouldn''t pale in comparison to his close-combat capability.
After a long and deep thought, Ragna clenched his fist before he finally said.
"Okay, Let''s cooperate!"
Chapter 54: Teamwork
Chapter 54: Teamwork
"Okay, Let''s cooperate!" Ragna broke the silence by voicing his thought.
Hearing Ragna''s words, Dreg became relieved. However, he didn''t trust him completely. There was no way to guarantee that Ragna wouldn''t backstab him too.
"So, how''s the plan?" Ragna asked.
"Just by relying on our speed, if we weren''t fighting against each other, they wouldn''t be able to catch us. Now that we''re going to cooperate let''s try to achieve something greater!" Dreg enthusiastically answered.
He added, "If we could somehow delay the Red Demon''s main army, we would gain greater contribution po-"
"Not interested," Before Dreg could finish his words, Ragna had cut him off.
How could Ragna be greedy in this kind of situation? If he could survive, he would gain a massive amount of contribution points from discovering the Ruin and the Invasion. Even though the offer seemed to be very enticing, if Dreg betrayed him, he would lose everything. It was akin to chasing after another girl and ended up losing both in the process.
"Relax, you won''t be doing the risky thing. We need to kill the archers, but I can''t handle all of them. Sure, I may be able to beat them at some point, but it''ll take too long."
Seeing that Ragna didn''t cut him off again, Dreg continued "We''ll bombard them by using our skills. There should be no danger of betrayal by doing that, right? We will stay a few meters away from each other, and if any of us tries to do anything funny, we''d have enough time to react."
Ragna thought about it for a moment before nodding his head, "Let''s do as you suggested. Remember, you''ll regret it if you try to do anything strange."
Dreg''s expression turned into one of a smile, but his eyes suddenly turned cold. "The same goes to you, I''m an assassin and you know better what my profession is capable of."
Right after he finished saying it, two daggers suddenly appeared in his hands. These daggers had a rope tying them to Dreg''s sleeves. Both of these daggers seemed ordinary at first, but suddenly the color turned dark.
A baleful aura could be felt emanating out from the daggers. It seemed like Dreg had used a skill. One that solely belonged to his hidden class.
Before the pursuers could notice the change, he had already turned around and thrown both of these daggers toward two different targets.
Shua!
The daggers embedded itself into the Red Demon Archers'' hand. They weren''t able to dodge it and could only block it from reaching their vitals by using their hand.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
A smirk could be seen in Dreg''s face. He grabbed the rope that was connected to the daggers and swung them, making those archers fell to the ground.
''So that shadow-like aura was used to latch the dagger into the target''s body!,'' Ragna inwardly thought. Seeing Dreg''s wide variety of skills made him a bit jealous. Even though he had many skills himself, he couldn''t use most of them in this place.
Before the Archers could stand up, another dagger had already embedded itself into their head. Naturally, it was a critical hit.
Unfortunately, the vitality of level 44 Red Demon Archers couldn''t be underestimated. Even though the attack was successful, they were still alive with about 35% of their health.
Without giving them a chance to recover, Dreg rushed forward. In his hands were the Twin Nights and both of them were glinting with a shadow aura.
Naturally, the other pursuers wouldn''t give them another chance. Two archers were already pointing their bows toward Dreg''s charging figure. Seeing how taut their bowstrings were pulled, one could guess how powerful the attack would be if it could hit.
Bam!
Before they could release their arrow, a huge boulder suddenly came smashing to one of them. Because his attention was focused on Dreg, he couldn''t react and was smashed by the boulder.
The other archer''s fate wasn''t that different. A Crimson Claw Strike hit his side, smashing him into the nearest tree.
By using Dreg, Ragna had perfectly launched his own surprise attack!
How could the archers predict that both of these humans were working together? They were clearly fighting to death just a while ago!
Seriously, this is just too much!
Dreg ended the life of both of his targets swiftly. Meanwhile, Ragna also unleashed his series of skills and attacks, killing his target with the same speed.
| Ding!
You have killed a level 44 Red Demon Archer.
You will get double the normal contribution points. |
Red Demons were a part of Astral Quest''s Main Event. It was normal for the developer to reward the player more generously. After all, it was harder to kill them.
It was only because their pursuer was an archer that they could kill them this quick. If it was a warrior or a shield-bearer instead that showed up, they would need twice, no thrice the time.
Pak... Pak... Pak...
The sound of faint but rushed footsteps could be heard once again.It seemed like the next batch of pursuer was about to arrive judging from it.
"Okay, now what?" Asked Ragna while running alongside Dreg. After cooperating together, Ragna''s tone had softened a bit. If it wasn''t because of their previous duel, maybe he could have greater impression toward him. In fact, their battle style suited each other quite well.
"Let''s also kill this batch of pursuers. Now that they lost four of their foremost scouts, they will be more careful. We will send them another surprise attack. If an opportunity presents itself, we may be able to wipe them out"
Ragna nodded his head. If the enemy''s scout were wiped out, their main force wouldn''t be able to advance as quick. They had to be wary of an ambush. They had no way to know who set the ambush after all. If it was actually the Army, then they would suffer serious losses.
If by chance Ragna and Dreg''s plan was to succeed, they would receive a huge merit from the Army. Delaying the advance of the Red Demon''s main force was something unprecedented in this quest.
"Yeah, if we fail, we can just retreat," replied Ragna.
''But, I don''t think we''ll need to retreat. Seeing his ability, as long as the enemy general doesn''t show up, we have close to 90% chance of obliterating them. Of course, I still have to be wary of him,'' Ragna thought inwardly.
''Dreg, huh? Let''s see how trustworthy you are.'' A hint of a smile could be seen on his face.
Chapter 55: Everything is Moving!
Chapter 55: Everything is Moving!
Outside, at one of the top Broadcasting Companies
Two people could be seen talking to each other. One was a young man and the other was a middle-aged man. A pile of complex looking document was neatly placed on the middle-aged man desk. It seemed like something that the young man had just given to him.
"President, everything is ready, we have no problem launching it tomorrow," said the young man in his twenties. The combination of his cheerful face and his neat attire were pleasing to the eyes.
The president nodded with a smile.
"Wonderful. Great job for finishing it a bit faster than our rivals. I''m pretty sure that we could gather more viewers by releasing it early"
"Thank you, It''s all thanks to the team''s hard work these past days," the man humbly replied.
The president looked at the topmost document, casually flipping it while reading. His expression then changed into one of an astonishment.
"This... is better than I thought. How do you think it would be? Will it succeed?"
Hearing the president''s compliment, the young man''s expression brightened. But he tried his best to suppressed it, maintaining a professional attitude.
"I think it will. You haven''t played the game, so maybe you won''t understand. This game is... how to say it... special. I tried the game myself only to research it, but I ended up having a great time inside. Maya has a lot of potentials, and we need to seize it as soon as possible."
The president looked satisfied with his answer, he closed the document he was reading and said, "I believe in you. Thanks for the work."
"Thank you, president, I''ll excuse myself then"
"Oh wait, one more thing," the president suddenly stopped him.
The young man turned around with a confused expression on his face.
"It''s already late, don''t play the game and just rest. Tomorrow will be a huge day, Adrian"
Adrian only replied with a smile. How can he stop playing the game at this moment? A big quest was waiting for him.
...
"This should be my 12th," said Dreg in a confident tone.
"Well, 12th was my last battle. This one," Ragna pointed at the Red Demon Scout he had just killed, "is my 15th."
Dreg''s expression turned sour, "Urgh, it''s not fair to compare with a mage!"
Ragna rolled his eyes, "I killed most of them in a close combat, you know"
Dreg avoided the topic, "Umm... We have killed a platoon''s worth of scouts. I can sense that they have become warier and slowed their march"
"Then? What next? Should we just head back?"Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
"Yeah, It''s becoming harder and harder to find stray scouts. Most of them have grouped up, I think"
"Okay, let''s go," Ragna turned around to head back to the base, followed by Dreg.
On their way back.
"Hey," Dreg suddenly called him.
"What?"
"You sure have a strange class, don''t you?"
"Well, you are just about the same"
Dreg shook his head, "No, I think your class is special. It should be one or two step higher than mine"
Ragna disagreed with him, "It''s because of my combat ability. Most of my skills are self-created"
"Self-created?" Dreg was astonished, "Damn, I thought I was quite exceptional for creating one skill, turns out there are other people who made more"
"Don''t be depressed, you can always create more," Ragna replied.
"Create more? If skills can be created that easily, I would have created a LOT of skills. Then, no one under the heavens can escape my daggers!"
Ragna only laughed in response. It seemed like this fellow was quite amusing, he thought inwardly.
It was at this moment that suddenly his expression turned serious.
"Wait," He halted.
"Yeah," Dreg also had a serious expression on his face. His playfulness had long gone.
"We are surrounded."
Suddenly, twenty Red Demon Scouts showed up from every direction. On the front was one that had a different aura compared to the others. She had two horns protruding from her head. Her equipment was a whole realm higher than other Red Demons.
The two-handed swords in her hands were emitting a blood-red aura. The most frightening were her eyes that emitted a cold bloody killing intent.
Nineteen Red Demons Scouts plus one Red Demon Leader, this battle will undoubtedly be rough.
...
Back at the Matrava Continent, inside one of the big city near the capital.
A young woman could be seen appearing at the beginner altar. She was clad in her female beginner clothes, proving that she had just started the game.
She looked a bit timid, but it only served to increase her cuteness and charm. She looked around a bit confusedly, seeming to be astonished by the game. The sight of her being dazed was pleasing to the eyes of the onlookers, making most of them couldn''t help but keep staring at her.
She was, of course, Dania.
After 3 weeks of their first launch, the place where the beginners first spawn had been changed to the normal city instead of the beginner town. The beginner town only served as an initiator for players to choose the combat-related profession because they were needed to pave the way forward for the next batch of players. It also served as a place for people to level up in a fair manner.
A beginner city had to spawn countless numbers of monsters to prevent the players from having no monster to grind at. That was why the beginner city existed, to balance things out and see the players'' reaction right after the launch.
Now that everything was settled, the developer changed the system to make the beginners started in a normal city instead. By doing it, they hoped that more beginners could choose more production-related professions at an earlier level.
Plus, by spawning in a city, the interaction the beginners make would be interesting to see. It was far better than spawning in a beginner city where one had to leave after reaching level 10.
Why waste resources on a place that would be forgotten? That was what the developers thought.
Before long, Dania realized that she had been the object of everyone''s gaze. She blushed and quickly ran toward the exit.
Now that she was already outside, she sighed while saying, "This game is indeed different. It''s almost like reality except for the scenery. If the background was our current world, then I might not be able to see the differences."
"I have entered the game like what Mrs. Rina had asked me to do. Now, what?" She muttered while walking aimlessly.
"Should I find a quest? or go on a hunt? I''m still weak so I guess the latter wasn''t possible. I can''t ask other people to bring me, everyone seemed so scary," She thought depressedly.
''Well, I don''t mind if it was him, though''
Her mind suddenly wandered to the image of a young man that he had just reunited these past days. Without her knowing, a hint of a smile could be seen on her face.
"Raka should be playing this game, I saw her scribbling things in his journal. That must be it."
"Should I ask him to accompany me? That should be troublesome for him. He must have been busy himself. I heard that there is a huge quest happening currently," she shook her head.
"What to do... What to do..."
While busily mumbling by herself, she suddenly stumbled into a huge building. The building had an ancient aura emanating from it. It was as if the place had existed from the time when the city had just been built.
A library!
Dania''s eyes brightened at the sight of it, she instantly made her decision and entered the building unhesitantly.
What could be more interesting to the eyes of an author except for books?
Chapter 56: Decimated!
Chapter 56: Decimated!
Pak! Pak! Pak!
Numerous arrows burrowed themselves into the ground where Ragna and Dreg were supposed to be at. They were carrying a blood-like aura in it. It seemed like the Leader''s presence had quite an impact toward the normal scouts.
Ragna and Dreg rushed forward to the opposite direction of where the leader was. They needed to break out from the encirclement!
Shiingg!
The sound of a saber being unsheathed could be heard from the scouts that were blocking their way. A hint of a bloodlust could be seen in their eyes. They were truly enraged by the fact that many of their comrades were killed in the hands of these humans!
"Krapa akutalu!"
They were shouting words that were strange to human. It was the Demon race''s language. Only the upper classes of these Demons could speak in human tongue.
Ragna and Dreg looked at each other''s eyes while rushing. They seemed to have reached a silent agreement about how they are going to battle.
Four Demons directly blocking the way, while the others were heading toward them.
Two daggers wreathed in shadowy aura suddenly flew toward one of the four blocking Demons. The first one was blocked by the swing of his Saber, but the other was cleverly positioned so that it would hit.
"Arrghhh!"
The Demon screamed painfully from the pain of being hit by the dagger in his eyes. His saber fell to the ground while he was grimacing in pain.
Without any power left to block, the demon was hit by a huge boulder that was flying to him. Even though he didn''t instantly die, this combination was surely able to whittle him to death if he doesn''t get treated.
One down! Three left!
"Shadow Doppelganger!"
Dreg''s body turned into a shadowy substance before splitting into four. It was his signature skill, one that had forced Ragna to a corner!
Three of the clones were sent to the three Demons, engaging them into a one vs one battle. Of course, the clones couldn''t actually battle. Dreg was somewhere inside one of these clones.
Despite that, it was enough to confuse them for a short amount of time.
Ragna also picked a Demon to fight with. His right hand was already shining with crimson color, it was his Crimson Claw Strike!
He hit the wrist where the Demon held his saber, dissipating its strength. Then he launched his counterattack, striking the Demon''s throat!
A critical hit!
Because of Dreg''s clone''s interference, the Demon couldn''t properly react to Ragna''s attack, resulting in him receiving the full brunt of Ragna''s Crimson Claw Strike!
Even though the Clone couldn''t attack, it could still distract the enemy. After all, you wouldn''t be able to know whether if it was a clone or not.
The Demon was thrown flying backward. One couldn''t underestimate the power behind Ragna''s punch. After eating a lot of essences and bonus stat points, his power was comparable to level 32-ish elite players. Adding his title, he was even stronger than Dreg, total-stat wise.
Of course, Ragna''s specialty was his strong physical and magical attack. If he was to be compared with Dreg in pure physical damage, Dreg would undoubtedly win.
Seeing their comrade flying from a punch, the two remaining Demons were enraged. They decided to abandon the Clone that was busily evading their attack and rushed to attack Ragna.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Unfortunately, it was a bad decision to open their back for Dreg. In a flash, one of the Demons back was engulfed in shadow.
Despotic Stab!
Shadow Strike!
Twin Slash!
In a flash, the Demon fell into the ground. Dreg''s burst power was just too terrifying. Adding the bonus damage from the backstab, his combination of skills was enough to bring the Demon into death.
The only Demon left was left flustered. In front of him was Ragna and behind him was Dreg. Brothers, you are not leaving me any choice here!
Naturally, he died after desperately trying to block both of the players'' attack.
Shua! Shua! Shua!
Now that there are none of their comrades left blocking the target, the archers started to shoot madly toward them.
Because of their repeated battle with the Demons, they no longer had any difficulty dodging them. Both of them displayed their own mysterious footwork to evade.
Ragna had his footwork imparted from Mr. Romi. As a Dojo Master, his technique had long since reached profoundness. After all, the Dojo, Purgatory, was something that had been passed down since ancient time.
The strange one was Dreg. Even though he didn''t use any skill, his footwork was not one whit inferior to Ragna. It seemed like he also had an incredible background himself.
While dodging, both of them threw their skills toward the remaining Demon who were still in a daze after being thrown by Ragna''s punch. Before he could react, he was already death.
It was at this moment that suddenly they felt an intense amount of danger coming from behind. Both of them instantly used their skill block the attack.
The Leader had arrived!
An unprecedented amount of rage was apparent in her eyes. Blood could be seen trickling from her lips. It seemed like she was truly pained by the loss of her comrades.
The twin swords danced about in a wild yet exquisite manner. Ragna and Dreg desperately tried to dodge it but still got hit nevertheless.
Fortunately, it was only a graze. Still, it couldn''t be underestimated as their health was depleting quickly.
It was at this moment that Ragna gave Dreg a signal. Both of them instantly backed out. Before the Red Demon Leader could chase, a deep quagmire enveloped her body.
The quagmire was different from what Ragna usually used, it was deeper but smaller!
After a long time of research, Ragna knew that Quagmire could be altered as one willed. Even though it require longer casting time and much bigger strain in mind, it was still doable for him.
Ragna and Dreg split up and escaped to their respective opposites. Ragna used the Earth Wall to cover his escape rout while Dreg used his Shadow Doppelganger to confuse the Demons.
The Leader could only grit her teeth while watching both of them escape. Her expression was very ugly to behold.
She quickly assembled the remaining Demons and ordered them to split into a group of 7 and 8 to chase after them.
She couldn''t let any of them escape! Even if only one was able to return, her operation could be considered a failure. And that would be disastrous!
The group dispersed into three, a 7-man team, an 8-man team, and the Red Demon Leader herself.
She didn''t need any of her subordinates! She could kill both of them herself!
...
Meanwhile, back at the Library.
"This... is a masterpiece!"
"Oh my god... this is even better than the last one!"
Shouts full of joy could be heard inside the library. A short haired young woman could be seen running around with a pile of books in her hand. She had been busy reading all of the books inside the library by herself.
Most of these books were fantasy, lore, and story about the kingdom and everything that happened in the past. There were stories about heroes, dragons, and even hidden villages that were considered as myths.
As a writer herself, she could understand the true worth of these books. People might only search for information on their quest and neglected most part of the book. But, she knew that the books were actually very well written. And surprisingly, the stories were quite amazing and fresh.
"These... are the inspiration I need," exclaim Dania. "I won''t leave before reading everything here!" Her eyes were glowing brightly.
It was the start of Dania''s journey in becoming a bookworm.
...
"Krukala!" The Red Demon Leader cursed in anger. It had been a while since they split up, but there was no sign of the despicable humans.
She had found many humans when searching for them. Everyone was killed mercilessly but she couldn''t find the two that she was truly looking for.
As a scouting team, they had their own way to communicate. But her subordinates hadn''t replied to her call.
"Asuraku!
The Red Demon Leader cursed again. She couldn''t help but be reminded of the worst possible outcome.
It was at this moment that suddenly a youth in a crimson robe showed himself. Beside him was his companion that was dressed in blue.
The Red Demon Leader''s eyes turned wide when she saw her. It was actually them! It was Ragna and Dreg!
"I don''t know if you understand my words, but your subordinates all are dead," Dreg spoke while gesturing a sliced throat with his hand.
"Yeah, thanks for the experience and contribution points," Ragna added.
After fighting with Dreg, Ragna finally understood his character. Even though he was a bit sly, there was something about Dreg that was very similar to him.
He was also a battle maniac!
That was why at the Ancient Ruin, Dreg decided to fight him instead of running. If he was to use his Shadow Doppelganger, there would be no chance for Ragna to catch him.
Roar!
The Red Demon Leader was truly enraged. Her eyes were blood red and the aura she emitted grew stronger!
"You must be wondering why we decided to fight instead of escaping?"
Both of them looked at each other. As if they had reached a tacit agreement, they said.
"Why back out from a fight we could win?"
Chapter 57: Battling the Red Demon Leader!
Chapter 57: Battling the Red Demon Leader!
"Grraaaaahhhhh!"
The twin swords in the Red Demon Leader''s hand shone in a fierce blood-red aura. Its appearance grew more and more imposing. It seemed like it noticed its master''s feeling and also went berserk.
Ragna and Dreg felt a cold tingle in their neck. In front of a strong existence, it''s normal for the weaker to cower.
However, Ragna quickly regained his composure. He was someone who got entitled with a Brave Challenger Title after all. Facing a stronger opponent was his forte.
Seeing how calm Ragna was, Dreg also loosened up. Facing this Demon, they had to cooperate to their fullest. There was no room for doubt.
Fortunately, after a series of battles, a seed of trust already grew inside both of them.
Even though they still couldn''t completely trust each other, they had no problem cooperating together. In fact, they believed that neither one of them would abandon the other.
It was proven by the fact that after both of them split, none of them tried to escape to the direction of the base.
In Maya, after partying with someone, you could sense each other''s whereabout. Of course, there was a distance limit, but it was enough to cover the whole forest area.
The fact that neither Ragna nor Dreg moved toward the base, proved that none of them wanted the other counterpart to doubt them.
They were showing their good intention and that made them gain each other''s trust.
Back to the battle.
After releasing a furious howl, the Red Demon Leader charged toward them. Her speed was astonishingly fast, it suited her position as a level 50 Lord-type Red Demon.
Even though she was a step below BOSS-type monsters, her innate power as a Red Demon compensated them all.
Ragna quickly released an Earth Wall to block her attack. Unfortunately, it could only block her for two seconds!
''What a strong power!'' Ragna thought to himself.
Even though Ragna had leveled up 4 times after killing the Scouts, he was currently just a level 24 mage. His Earth Wall''s proficiency also couldn''t be said as high. It was normal for it to break in that short amount of time.
After breaking the wall, the Leader found Ragna already in his fighting stance. Crimson-colored aura covered both of his hands. Strangely, she couldn''t find the other human. It seemed like Dreg had used that short amount of time to hide.
Two slashes came crashing toward Ragna. Seeing their might, it would be akin to suicide if he tried to block it by using his fist.
Shua! Shua!
Ragna dodged both of the slashes by moving sideward and backward. Unfortunately, he had no chance to counterattack as the swords were already pulled back and were ready to be swung again.
Shua! Shua! Shua! Shua!Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Ragna dodged slashes after slashes by a hair''s breadth. He couldn''t let his guard down even for a bit. He had to put all of his concentration in dodging her attacks.
It was at this moment that suddenly the Red Demon Leader felt a danger coming from his back. She quickly swung her swords to parry the attack.
The attack turned out to be flying daggers! Two of them!
Trang! Trang!
By swinging her swords, she deflected the daggers. However, the time it took for her to parry Dreg''s attack had produced an opportunity for Ragna,
A chance!
Ragna quickly rushed forward. With both of them engaging in a very close combat, how could the Leader dodge Ragna''s punch?
That was the reason Ragna accompanied her in a close-combat. Everything was for this moment!
Crimson Claw Strike!
Crimson Claw Blast!
Without even waiting for the Red Demon Leader''s reaction to his punch, Ragna instantly released all of his Crimson Claw''s energy by erupting it to become a ranged attack. He knew that there was no way he could induce a knock-back effect to a Lord-type monster only by relying on one Crimson Claw Strike.
Crimson Claw Strike''s might was below Soul Strike after all.
The Red Demon Leader was thrown backward from Ragna''s punch. In this state, she couldn''t defend from any attack. Naturally, it wouldn''t last for long.
Unfortunately for her, Dreg was already behind with all of his skills being ready to be used.
SLASH!
Twin Night erupted with Dreg''s combo of skills, engulfing the Red Demon Leader''s back in shadow. Even Ragna wouldn''t dare to receive it. He would be dead even before it finished.
"Kyaaarrghhh"
The Red Demon Leader screeched in pain. Dreg''s burst power belonged to those top tiered elites after all. Ragna could somehow sense that even if Dreg hadn''t reached level 40, his might had already surpassed it.
Before the Red Demon Leader could finish her scream, an Earth Spike already thrust its way to her abdomen. Using this opportunity, Dreg quickly backed up. He threw a few daggers to cover his retreat.
Because the target was a Lord-type monster, the Earth Spike wasn''t able to break the Demon''s defense. The daggers also only grazed her skin by a bit. It was only a wishful thinking for Dreg and Ragna to hope that their random attack could induce a stun or status ailment toward the Demon.
The Red Demon Leader''s monster grade and the level disparity just wouldn''t allow it.
However, the attack still brought some damage. It was what both of them was aiming for.
But still, the reality was harsh. Only about 6% of the Red Demon Leader''s health was scraped off. She was, after all, a level 50 Lord-type monster. Her might couldn''t be compared to the scouts they killed earlier.
The Red Demon Leader quickly recovered her senses. She immediately charged toward Dreg before he could conceal himself. She knew that the blue-clothed assassin had to be killed first!
Unfortunately for her, Ragna and Dreg had already predicted this outcome. A deep quagmire once again swallowed her body up to her thighs. She was trapped!
If her target was Ragna instead, he wouldn''t be able to cast it without also being implicated. It took quite a bit of time to run, turn your back, specify a location and cast the spell. By the time the spell was cast, she would already arrive at his location.
Ragna and Dreg used this opportunity to bombard the Red Demon Leader with their skills. Dreg''s proficiency in throwing dagger was surprisingly high. He always aimed at the right spot and the right opportunity, slowing down the Demon from her attempt in escaping the Quagmire.
Earth Boulder and Crimson Claw Blast were unleashed. Both of them dealt quite a lot of damage toward her, especially the Boulder. It was Ragna''s strongest spell after all.
By the time the Red Demon Leader broke out from the Quagmire. Dreg and Ragna had already opened up quite a distance from her.
They were kiting her!
Even though every moment seemed dangerous, they were able to completely control the flow of the battle!
...
Outside Ragna''s boarding house.
Banu was about to go back. He concluded that there was no way Raka would come out at this hour.
It seemed like Mr. Romi had been overly worried about his apprentice brother.
Suddenly, the Radio announced a big news.
"Tomorrow, the Nusantara Broadcasting Company will hold a special press release. It seems like they are going to announce something related to their new program. Our source said that it''s related to the hottest game in the country, Maya."
Banu knitted his eyebrows when he heard the news. It was a bit weird for them to announce it this late. He knew that the announcement would keep repeating until tomorrow, but how important was it to receive such treatment?
"It''s just a game. Is it really that special?" Banu frowned.
"I''ll just ask Raka tomorrow. He seems knowledgeable about this sort of thing," muttered him.
It was the start of another journey.
Chapter 58: We Strike it Rich!
Chapter 58: We Strike it Rich!
"Aarrgghhh"
The Red Demon Leader''s body was riddled with bloody scars. Especially at her back where numerous dagger wounds could be seen.
The forest that they were using as a battlefield was already destroyed. Everything was because of the Red Demon Leader''s rampage.
After she reached yellow health, Ragna and Dreg''s skills could properly show their status-inducing effect. Albeit reduced, the effect was enough to greatly help them.
However, everything changed when she reached red health.
Rampage.
That was the only word that can describe the current Red Demon Leader. Her attack patterns changed and her attacks grew more destructive. It was now impossible for Ragna to tangle her in a close-combat.
Thus, they were now resorting to ranged attacks. Even if it was slower, they could whittle her health in a safer manner.
Or so they thought.
"Grraahhhh!"
The Red Demon Leader let out another scream right when her health reached 3%.
Her fierce aura changed into a colder one. Ragna and Dreg could sense the change in her atmosphere.
"Careful, she changed state again!" Dreg shouted while throwing a few daggers to test the Demon.
Clang! Clang!
The Red Demon Leader only glanced at them for a moment before casually slashing them. With only one sword, all of them were parried.
If it was her first state, she wouldn''t be able to block it that easily. It seemed like she had really evolved further after reaching 3% in health.
Shua!
Suddenly, the Red Demon Leader charged at Dreg. Her movement was so fast that it actually left an afterimage!
Quagmire!
Ragna quickly reacted to the situation by using his spell. Unfortunately, the current Red Demon Leader was different from what they faced previously. In a split second when the Quagmire was about to be formed, she jumped, leaving a huge MISS behind her!
"Damn!" Ragna shouted in anger, he quickly chased after the Demon.
After battling for so long, how could he just leave Dreg?
His conscience wouldn''t allow that!
Dreg frantically tried to evade the Demon''s attacks, in just a few seconds, they already exchanged many moves!
Slash!
Unfortunately, the Demon''s attack speed and attack pattern had been enhanced. Without being able to dodge, Dreg was slashed diagonally!
"Shit!" Ragna exclaimed loudly.
Suddenly, the ''Dreg'' that was just killed disappeared into wisps of shadow. It was actually his shadow doppelganger!
"Ragna! I swapped my real body with my clone! Quick, use your boulder to cover your retreat! I don''t think we can finish this Demon!" Dreg hurriedly shouted in the team chat window.
After hearing Dreg''s voice, Ragna felt somewhat relieved. It seemed like he really had grown to like this comrade of his, "That''s good. But I don''t think I need to retreat. I''m going to kill it." He said resolutely.
Dreg was dumbfounded when he heard what Ragna was saying. How could you kill that monster? Even dodging her attack was already impossible!This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Having lost Dreg, the Red Demon Leader changed his target to Ragna. Her eyes emanated a cold killing intent. She quickly charged with unprecedented speed.
Ragna readied his stance to receive the Demon''s attack. The essences around him vibrated and started emanating blood-red luster. His hand was also glowing with blood-red color.
Essence Manipulation! Soul Strike!
Ragna finally decided to use his trump card. He knew that he had no choice other than to kill this Demon. If they tried to escape, their chance would be slim.
"Come at me!" Ragna shouted toward the charging Red Demon Leader.
Right when they were about to clash, the Red Demon Leader''s body trembled. Her eyes widened as if she was in disbelief. She stared incredulously at Ragna and his hands.
It made her pause momentarily!
Ragna quickly seized this chance by rushing forward. After canceling his essence manipulation, he immediately sent out a punch to the Red Demon Leader''s throat.
A critical hit!
The Red Demon Leader was thrown back and her health was instantly depleted. Her body dropped to the ground. She was finally killed!
Ding!
|
Congratulation for defeating the enemy''s leader!
You have been awarded by 500 Contribution Points!
|
Ragna gained two levels and a huge amount of contribution points. It was equivalent to killing 50 30+ leveled normal monsters. That was the reason why the Invasion became a heated discussion among the players. The amount of the contribution point it gave was very generous!
Strangely, Ragna didn''t have a happy expression. His face was full of disbelief and doubt. He didn''t understand the reason behind the Red Demon Leader''s momentary pause!
On top of it, there was a strange feeling in his heart. It felt like he did something bad.
''Why do I feel bad after killing this monster?'' he muttered to himself.
It was at this moment that Dreg came to him with a cheerful expression. After seeing how Ragna had beaten the monster, he became overjoyed to the point of grinning from ear to ear. Ragna''s success was their success after all.
"Hahaha congratulation Ragna, I thought that you are no match for her. It turns out you have been hiding your power from the start!" He said joyfully.
"Yeah," Ragna replied blandly. He was still trying to calm his mind.
"Come on, cheer up! We gain a lot, you know!" He quickly strolled to the Red Demon Leader''s corpse.
A shining sword could be seen on top of the corpse. It emanated a blood-red luster. Just from one glance, everyone could understand that it was an incredible weapon.
"The sword dropped! My God, we strike it rich!" Dreg exclaimed loudly.
Ragna was suddenly brought back from his daze after hearing the word ''rich''. He quickly made his way to Dreg to see the equipment that dropped.
|
Sword of Insanity ( R )
After being submerged in blood for a long time, the sword received the killing intents from the blood''s source. It could make its wielder to enter a berserk state.
Attack : 150-160
Skill : Berserk (Enter a berserk state, Defense -30% Attack +30%)
Level Requirement: 43
|
Ragna''s eyes widened after seeing the sword''s property. This sword''s attack was nearly double his current weapon. Even if the level requirement was high, numerous people would still be wanting to buy it!
This weapon could be sold at a high price. It would instantly solve Ragna''s money trouble!
Even though Ragna already had a steady amount of income from disposing his loot to Lily, he still needed a lot of money. Other from the equipment he acquired himself, he had only bought 1 equipment after all. And that was for completing his set.
"Yeah, this is worth a lot of gold!" Ragna laughed, the matter regarding the Red Demon Leader''s strange behavior was slowly forgotten.
"Gold? Why would we sell it for gold?" Dreg had a strange expression on his face.
"Huh? Can we sell it for real money?" Ragna asked with a pure expression.
Hearing Ragna''s response, Dreg didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. "I don''t know if I should feel proud being beaten by you. Damn, you really don''t know? After this event is over, the conversion between game currency and real money will open. We can sell this sword for real money, and it will worth a DAMN lot!"
"Seriously? How much will it sell? I need the exact number?"
"How could I know? It will be up to the market. But the estimate is... I think we can buy a bike after selling this. Oh wait, we need to split it by two, so I guess we can only buy a new phone. Hey wait, don''t blank out! Recover your senses!"
Ragna stared dumbfoundedly at Dreg. He felt like he was stricken by a thunder. His ears were ringing and his back was sweating profusely. Are you f*cking kidding me? How could a game make so much money? Is this a real world instead?
"Where... Where did you find that information?" He asked Dreg. His body was still trembling.
"You really don''t know? Damn, you really are new to this ''world'' huh? It was released by the developer only to the promising players. There will be an announcement but we already got it early. There''s a strange thing, though. The conversion mechanic should''ve been released at an earlier date but they keep delaying it for some reason. It seemed like this event was more important to them. Because of it, players have been buying the item without the help of the system. Because there''s no guarantee, it wasn''t popular at all," Dreg answered in a lengthy manner but Ragna had already blanked out again before he could finish.
He was having a hard decision whether to drop out from his college or not!
Chapter 59: Great Rewards
Chapter 59: Great Rewards
Ragna and Dreg made their way to the base after killing the Red Demon Leader. They could notice that no other scout was present on their way back. Even though it was impossible to say that they cleared them all, a huge portion of them had already died and it was sure to create some ruckus on the Demon side.
At least, they wouldn''t advance at the same pace.
Ragna had forgotten the incident that happened between him and the Red Demon Leader. He had a lot of matter to think of in his head. It was about Maya''s origin, the creation of the virtual reality, the philosophy behind humans, etc etc.
No, that was not right, he was just thinking about money.
''Damn it, isn''t this a dream job? I could play and earn money at the same time!'' He thought inwardly.
Before he knew it, he already arrived at the base. The base had now finished its construction. Even though everything was portable, it had a lot of things and was quite decent.
Ragna looked at the time, only a few hours had passed from the 8 hours frame. Yet, many people could be seen at the base. They were busy repairing their equipment and replenishing their health. The base was designed for the purpose to do so.
Some of them had a restless face. It was apparent that they had noticed the Red Demon Invasion. However, unless they had confronted the scouts by themselves and killed at least one of them, they couldn''t report it to the army. The army wouldn''t move from a baseless assumption after all.
Only Ragna and Dreg were qualified to do so. They had all sort of proofs to prove their claim. On top of it, they had also made sure that no one stole their achievement. As someone who was labeled as unscrupulous, Ragna wouldn''t forget that simple matter.
They immediately went to the Expedition Leader''s tent. After showing one of the loots from the Red Demon they had killed, they were permitted to enter.
...
Inside the tent.
Artha, the Expedition Leader, was silently contemplating by himself.
"I need to quickly find it before the Demon notice. It would be bad if the invasion starts and we are forced to retreat after the duration ends," He muttered to himself.
He had a troubled expression on his face. He let out a sigh and reached the necklace that was hung on his neck.
"Father... He doesn''t have much time left. I need to find ''it'' to acquire the power needed to succeed him," his hand firmly grabbed the necklace. It was a present from his beloved father. The Duke.
Suddenly, he heard a shout from outside. He quickly changed his expression back to his usual and dignified one.
"Greetings, Adventurers. What matter has brought you here?" Artha greeted them.
Both Dreg and Ragna nodded respectfully, "Prince, we have information regarding the Red Demon"
Artha frowned slightly, "Is that true? Show me the proof"This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Ragna quickly showed him the loot and the equipment they gained from killing them. Artha''s eyes widened after he saw them. He hurriedly replied.
"Oh, Lord... It must be the Invasion. Quick, tell me when did you encounter them? We have to prepare!"
Ragna smiled, "We have just encountered them. But please relax, we have killed most of their scouts and even their leader. We''re sure that they won''t hastily attack us. At least for today."
Artha''s expression was one of a disbelief. "How could you kill them? You are but a two person. One squad are comprised of quite an amount of people. On top of it, the Leaders'' power are equal to my Generals!"
"This is the proof," Ragna showed him the Sword of Insanity that the Leader dropped.
"This... This is their sword! And it should only be wielded by their high ranking member! You... Don''t tell me both of you really killed the Scout Leader?"
Both Ragna and Dreg only smiled in response.
"Hahahaha... Great... Great. If that''s the truth then they surely won''t attack us. We will have a lot of time to prepare and that would greatly reduce the casualty from our side." He then looked at both Ragna and Dreg, "You have rendered a great merit for us"
Ding!
| You have accomplished a great deed!
By noticing the Army from the upcoming Invasion, you have helped them to prepare. Their casualty will reduce and their chance in repelling the invasion will raise!
You have been awarded by 500 Contribution Points.
The Army will have a slightly more favorable feeling toward you.
It will be much easier for you to unlock special quest in Prawk City.
You have gained 8.500 Experience Points. |
Ding!
| Hidden Achievement unlocked!
By killing the Scouts and the Leader, you have bought more time for the army. Their casualty will be reduced significantly.
You have been awarded by 1000 Contribution Points.
Artha and The Generals have been impressed by you.
You could unlock special quests after returning to the City.
You have gained 16.500 Experience Points.
You have gained a special reward: All Stats +2 |
Ragna felt a surge of light enveloping his body. After killing the Red Demons, he had leveled up to level 23. Adding the experience from the Red Demon Leader, his level had reached 24. Now he gained yet another 3 levels, making him level 27.
He was just a level behind Crane now.
If it was now, Ragna wouldn''t be put into that kind of a dangerous situation again when facing Crane and his team. It would be much easier for him to deal with them.
Dreg also had an expression full of joy. He suddenly remembered of the Strange Ruin thing, and said, "I have no more matter here, but my friend has another important thing to say. I''ll respectfully take my leave," just when he was about to turn around Ragna suddenly grabbed him by his shoulder.
"It''s okay, stay here," He smiled at him.
Dreg felt a surge of warm feeling in his heart. He didn''t expect that Ragna was willing to share his achievement with him. It seemed like both of them had grown a sense of camaraderie between each other.
At first, Ragna was suspicious of Dreg. However, after fighting alongside him, he could tell that Dreg was actually a good person. Even if he was a bit cunning, he wasn''t someone that would betray his friend.
''I trust him,'' that was his judgment of Dreg. After seeing many people who harbored bad intentions toward him, Ragna could somewhat differentiate them. It was a trait that he acquired during his dark days.
"Oh, what is it?" Artha still had a smile plastered on his face. The thought of reducing the casualty of his citizen was enough to greatly elevate his mood.
"We found a strange ruin near the lake where the Dark Wolf resides. The ruin was suspicious and we think that it must be something important"
"Ruin? Does it look like a broken Ruin? Is there a magical circle at its center?"
"Yeah, and there''s one more thing. Monsters can''t enter it. It seems like they were blocked by a transparent wall"
The Prince''s eyes widened. His body trembled and excitement could be seen in his eyes.
"That... That must be the Ruin of Manifestation!"
Chapter 60: Momentary Silence
Chapter 60:Momentary Silence
"That... That must be the Ruin of Manifestation!" Artha exclaimed hurriedly.
Seeing the change in Artha''s expression, Both Ragna and Dreg became very excited. They knew that they had found a great discovery this time.
"What kind of a place is it?" Dreg asked.
"It''s... a place only told in ancient writing. We''ve been looking for it in this expedition and we need something from it," Artha also looked very excited, he continued, "The two of you have noticed us about the Red Demon''s Invasion, repelled the Scouts and bought us some time, and now you even found the Ruin? A mere contribution point can''t even express our gratitudes."
Ding!
By telling the location of the Ruin of Manifestation, you''ve greatly helped Prince Artha in finding his objective!
You have gained 1000 Contribution Points.
Prince Artha''s impression of you has increased greatly.
It will be much easier to conduct trades and businesses inside the Prawk City.
Both Ragna and Dreg knitted their brows slightly. It seemed like the rewards are just so-so compared to their prior achievements. But, before they could speak, Artha continued his speech.
"Unfortunately, because of the Red Demon''s Invasion, we can''t move that easily. Protecting this base is as important as finding the Ruin." Artha shook his head, a complicated expression was on his face.
Ragna sighed inwardly. If only he had told this matter right when he found it, the reward would definitely be much higher than what it was. Would it be better if he entered the ruin by himself?
No, that would be too dangerous at his current level. Before he gained all the rewards, he was just a level 20 Mage. It would be disastrous if it turned out that the Ruin was more difficult than the Ancient Blood Cave. There was a time limit in this realm after all.
He could only blame his own self for not having enough power. Well, Dreg also had his own part to blame, but after experiencing many battles with him, Ragna couldn''t bring himself to hate him. Especially when he was his first ''comrade'' aside from Lily and Silver.
Dreg also noticed Ragna''s change in mood, he felt somewhat guilty but there was nothing that he could do.
Both of them left the tent, but there was something that they failed to notice. Prince Artha was deeply pondering on something while looking at their disappearing back.
...
Ding!
The Army has noticed a strange movement in the forest. It''s already confirmed that the Red Demon has started their Invasion. Because of the level discrepancy between Players and Demons, The Army has issued an order to retreat and organize at the base. Players are allowed to return to the City but will be restricted from leaving the City perimeter to stand guard in case of the Demon''s attack.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The rewards from killing the Demons will be much higher than normal monsters.
This sudden notification immediately caught the player''s attention. The discussions inside the community were intensifying.
"Damn it, I have just started hunting and suddenly they called me back!"
"Oh God, we''re very lucky that we didn''t encounter them. Even one Demon can annihilate our group!"
"Finally! I have been waiting for this. I''ve been envious of other city''s Demon Invasion, now that it has arrived, I''ll make sure to get the most contribution points!"
Some people were badly affected by this sudden event, but most players rejoiced inwardly. The faster the Demon started the Invasion, the more contribution points the player could get. It was currently on the third day and they still have about four days to fully use this opportunity.
It was a common knowledge that contribution points had a lot of use. Besides the reward that was promised to be given at the end of the expedition, players could also exchange them for items and favors from NPC and other players. Contribution points became a form of exchange that was even more popular than golds.
Currently, Ragna and Dreg could be considered as filthy rich after acquiring the contribution points from Artha.
"Hehehehe" Ragna was feeling ecstatic. He was a bit disappointed with the Ruin of Manifestation''s reward, but nonetheless, he still acquired a lot. He felt that he shouldn''t be too greedy in this aspect as it could backfire on him.
"That laughter really sounds creepy you know" Dreg rebuked from the side.
"Shut up, wipe that disgusting look on your face before talking to me" He pointed at Dreg who was fervently looking at his contribution point screen.
Both of them laughed. Indeed, this was a time of bliss one could only get after finally completing something important.
"So, what are you going to do? From the looks of it, the Demon won''t start attacking until tomorrow" Dreg asked.
"I think I''ll head back to the city. There''s nothing I can do here because the army restricted us from wandering too far. I''ll go see a friend of mine"
"Uh, okay then. I also need to resolve some business. Apparently, my friend whom you killed this morning requested something to me"
"You mean Crane? He''s your friend?"
"Yeah, he''s a friend from high school. We were close but he got held back a year because of his family''s situation. I already warned him not to do anything rash but in the end, he provoked you. I was watching at that time and I think that it''s not worth it to help him. He also needs to taste his own medicine... Ah, please don''t hate him. He''s not as bad as you think" Dreg explained.
"Well, I can''t say anything about that. I have let go of that matter because of this," Ragna opened his inventory and grabbed the Staff that Crane dropped.
"Damn, he dropped THAT? Hahahaha he must be really mad now. Anyway, I''ll do my best to mediate this matter. I don''t like seeing a fight between my... friends" He had a slight pause before saying the last word. An awkward expression was on his face as he looked at Ragna''s response.
Ragna only smiled in response. He quickly fiddled his system screen before sending something to Dreg.
It was a friend request.
...
"Silver, are you there?" Ragna called out Silver''s name inside the Blacksmith Association. He had messaged her telling that he would be visiting earlier but she didn''t respond.
Ragna walked inside the building, after receiving his Personal Brand, he could enter and leave as he wished. Inside the basement, there were many blacksmiths busily doing their work. Most of them were beginners but there was no lack of experts. Of course, Ragna didn''t see anyone who was more skilled than Silver.
Clang! Clang!
Clang! Clang!
Ragna heard the crisp and beautiful sound of hammer clashing into metal from inside a room. This room was supposed to be Silver''s but from its sound, the frequency between each hammer''s hit was too fast. He opened the door slowly, afraid that he would disrupt anyone who was concentrating inside.
The door was already half opened, but the person inside didn''t seem to notice. No, it wasn''t just a person, there were two people inside.
Both of them were working together on the same metal. Ragna couldn''t help but be astonished at the sight. Both of them were holding their own hammer and they were pounding the metal at the same spot in a harmony.
Every time a hammer was raised, the other would hit. The movements were fluid without a pause. Even when they changed the spot, they didn''t talk to each other as if they had understood it. It shouldn''t be too much to describe it as a perfectly synchronized dance.
From the looks of it, they were creating a sword.
Ragna could recognize one of them, it was his mentor, Silver. The other one was a man. His hair was short and neat. His toned body could be seen because of his shirtless appearance. The most prominent characteristic was his eyes that seemed to blaze with intensity.
It was the first time Ragna saw someone who was as skilled or maybe more skilled than Silver.
Chapter 61: Evolving Weapon
Chapter 61: Evolving Weapon
After what it seemed like the time to brew a coffee, both of them stopped while staring intently at the finished sword. Their expressions were one of an elation and satisfaction.
The sword was emitting bright radiance. Even though it was lacking in luster compared to Dreg''s Twin Night, the difference wasn''t that great. One had to understand that Dreg''s Twin Night was a Rare Weapon. An existence that could be considered as the best at the current stage of the game.
Ragna silently exclaimed in his heart, ''When would I be able to reach such height?''
At first, Ragna only decided to take blacksmithing as his second profession because of the prospect. After trying it himself, he found that blacksmithing was rather pleasing to do and could be treated as some sort of refreshment.
But after seeing Silver and the mysterious man''s ''performance'', his desire to advance further in this path increased.
"It seems like your skill is still intact," Silver snickered.
"What can I say? It''s hard being such a talented person. Even my grandfather is in awe with my talent" The man laughed. From the looks of it, they were already close to each other.
In this era, blacksmithing had become a form of artistry. Most of the weapons and tools could be created using machinery. Only elite families were still paying attention toward it.
"Unfortunately, it still hasn''t reached Rare rank," Silver said with slightly dejected expression.
"It''s alright. It''s still at the early phase of the game. If someone could make a Rare-ranked weapon now, that would be heaven-defying. Not to mention that this sword is already quite close to reaching the next rank," The man consoled.
"Yeah, you''re right," Silver looked at her surroundings and noticed Ragna''s presence, "Ragna? How long have you been there? Isn''t it too early for you to come out from that useless quest?"
"Sorry, I got fascinated by the sight of your smithing process," Ragna said with an apologetic expression, "Today''s expedition got halted early. Players are being ordered to stand guard inside the base or the city. I have nothing to do and I decided to visit you earlier."
"Plus, I think I have something that would interest you," Ragna tossed a material from his bag that was dropped by the Demon Leader.
"This... it''s Red Demon''s horn! For the Horn to be this large, its rank must''ve been quite high." She quickly gave Ragna a look, "Where did you get it? This city''s Red Demon Invasion quest hasn''t been triggered and you already got a high-quality material?"
"It''s just luck," Ragna shrugged it off by not telling the truth.
Silver gave Ragna a questioning look, but soon her eyes couldn''t hide the excitement hidden within. She quickly turned around to face the man she had been working together with.
"Little Gold, quick, look! This is a high-quality material from a Red Demon Leader. I thought we would run out of material after finishing that weapon, now that we have this, we could create another weapon!"
"Well, that''s great. But don''t you think that it''s still too early for you to think about that? That man over there should want something from you" Gold reminded.
"Oh right. But don''t worry, he''s my apprentice that I''ve spoken of," She turned toward Ragna, "Ragna, this is Little Gold, I''ve known him since I was little and we both have the same hobby which is smithing."
"Oh, and don''t try to extort me. Give me a fair price!" She gave Ragna a fierce look.
Ragna got a slight shudder when he saw Silver''s threatening look. This sister, it''s not me who''s threatening you. It''s you who''s threatening me!
"Hi Gold, nice to meet you. That was an excellent skill and performance" Ragna said politely.
"Thank you Ragna, I''ve been very curious about you. Anyway, sell us the material. We''ll definitely buy it as long as you don''t go overboard." Gold had a smile on his face. He looked calm despite his previous fierce look when smithing. It seemed like people could really change depending on the situations.
"It''s alright. I''m giving it as a gift. I haven''t had a chance to repaid anything to Silver. She has taught me a lot."
"Wait, no! I can''t accept that. It''s too precious. Don''t tell me that you don''t know how much this thing is worth of?" Silver refused.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Silver pondered for a bit before saying, "Well how about this, I''ll exchange that material for a weapon that suited you. I know that you are using a Fist-type weapon. That kind of weapon must be quite hard to find considering the number of its user. This is something that I created while trying to make a different type of weapon. Its grade is just uncommon but its quality is quite high among its peer." Silver quickly tossed a gauntlet toward Ragna. It has a silvery luster and Silver''s brand on it.
In Maya, weapon''s drop rates would be linked to the number of its user. If there''re a lot of sword user, then the drop-rate of sword would be higher than another type of weapon. Fist-type weapons were still not that popular.
"Wait, I don''t nee-"
Ragna caught the gauntlet. Even though its grade is just Uncommon, its options were quite good. Especially because of the added option from Silver''s personal brand. Although this kind of weapon wouldn''t create an uproar, it would still be coveted by many.
However, he had no use of this weapon. He already had his Ancient Blood Gloves that could be evolved further by absorbing another Sentinel''s essence. Or so he thought.
Suddenly, the Ancient Blood Gloves in his hand brightened. Ragna felt that the gloves'' temperature were raising. The gauntlet in his hand was suddenly covered in blood-red color. It quickly melted into a red liquid which was immediately absorbed by the Ancient Blood Gloves.
Everyone was dumbfounded with the sudden development. Even Ragna himself was not excluded.
Ding!
| Your Ancient Blood Glove has consumed another weapon''s essence!
An increase in stats will be given. |
Because the weapon is of Uncommon rank, there will be a slight increase in the absorbed stats.
Because this is the first time you absorbed an Uncommon-ranked weapon, another additional stats will be given.
The next time you absorbed a weapon of the same rank, the absorption rate will be reduced.
Ding!
| Ancient Blood Gloves (Weapon, Two-Handed) (Ragna)
Attack : 99-100 -> 103-104
Magic Attack : 99-100 -> 103-104
Unique Effect: Blood Consuming.
Can consume another weapon with the same type. Cannot be done repeatedly.
Unique Characteristic: Blood Evolution
Automatically consume a sentinel essence in inventory to evolve.
Damage +10% While fighting against stronger or higher leveled opponent (s). |
The weapon''s attack increased!
Ragna couldn''t hide the excitement on his face. Now that you mention it, there was actually an option in his Ancient Blood Gloves to consume another weapon of the same type. He had been quite busy these days and never had a chance to experiment with it.
The increase in damage might not seem much, but he could just keep consuming another weapon until it reached a heaven-defying state.
"Silver! Do you have another Fist-type weapon? Give me as many as you have, I''ll pay for it later" Ragna hurriedly asked Silver.
Silver was still in a daze, "Uh... I think I have three more. The quality is worse, though," She quickly gave Ragna all of the Fist-type weapons in her possession.
Ragna grabbed all the weapon. Two of them were of Common-grade, while the last one was of Uncommon-grade. He quickly absorbed all of them into his Ancient Blood Gloves.
Ding!
| Your Ancient Blood Glove has consumed another weapon''s essence!
An increase in stats will be given. |
| Ancient Blood Gloves (Weapon, Two-Handed) (Ragna)
Attack : 103-104 -> 105-106
Magic Attack : 103-104 -> 105-106
... |
The rate of improvement was clearly lower than before. It seemed like he couldn''t just mindlessly absorb everything. However, it''s still a great direction of development for him.
"Do... Don''t tell me that weapon is an evolving weapon? One that can improve by eating another weapon?" Gold was the first one who recovered from the stupor.
"I just noticed it too. I thought that the evolution''s requirement is more difficult, but it actually is this simple"
"Damn, where the hell did you get this kind of weapon? You sure have a godlike luck having acquired this weapon," Silver shouted.
Ragna just smiled apologetically, even he himself didn''t really understand where that ''place'' was.
"Is it personally bound?" Gold asked. It seemed like he''s quite knowledgeable about this stuff.
"Yeah, this weapon is personally bound to me. It can''t be dropped or gifted to other people," Ragna explained.
Gold heaved a sigh of relief. "It''s good that it''s personally bound to you. There will be no end of people who would chase after you if this information got out. The worth of an evolving weapon is immense in every game." He explained to Ragna everything he knew about evolving weapon.
At first, Ragna was a bit cautious in front of Gold. But now, it seemed like this guy is quite trustworthy. At least, for now.
After a short discussion, Ragna left the Blacksmith Associaton. He had to cancel today''s training because he needed to experiment with the Gloves'' consuming ability. Not to mention that Silver and Gold were also quite busy because of the material Ragna brought.
...
At a mountain range far from the city.
A female white knight could be seen fighting monsters with levels above hers. Even the weakest of the mobs was level 42.
The knight had a slender and delicate body but the presence she emitted was no joke. She exuded the aura of a swordmaster.
The blood from the monsters dyed the ground red, but she was unscathed as her armor still retained its pure whiteness.
The place was desolate as most of the players were busy fighting inside the Astral Realm. It seemed like she had her own reason not to join.
Suddenly, she heard a notification from the system. It was a call.
"Arisa, I think I''ve found him. He has an evolving weapon similar to what you said"
Her brows slightly trembled, she opened her mouth saying, "Great, keep observing him. I need to know the situation and the background better" Her voice was melodious to the point of enchanting.
"Alright"
"And... Gold, one more thing"
"Yeah?"
"I think we need to speed things up. This is progressing faster than I thought" The female knight said, her expression was one of uncertainty.
Chapter 62: Etra Media
Chapter 62: Etra Media
''Great... This is really great!''
Ragna was having an extremely satisfied expression after he came out from a desolate alley. He had just consumed all the Fist-type weapons that he could find. Everything was in order to increase his only Weapon''s strength, the Ancient Blood Gloves.
''As I thought, this thing really is overpowered...''
| Ancient Blood Gloves (Weapon, Two-Handed) (Ragna)
Attack : 119-120
Magic Attack : 119 -> 120
Unique Effect: Blood Consuming.
Can consume another weapon with the same type. Cannot be done repeatedly.
Unique Characteristic: Blood Evolution
Automatically consume a sentinel essence in inventory to evolve.
Damage +10% While fighting against stronger or higher leveled opponent (s). |
After consuming a numerous amount of Common-ranked weapon and a few of Uncommon-ranked weapon, the might of Ancient Blood Gloves had increased by quite a lot. Now, it could barely enter the realm of Rare-ranked weapons. Of course, that would only be true if one only looked at the damage. The terrifying aspect of this weapon was its practical use by boosting both of the physical and magical aspects.
''Still, its consumption is really too much...''
Ragna silently grimaced while looking at the top leftmost of his Personal Screen. The amount of gold he had painstakingly saved had almost been emptied.
''I thought I would be quite rich just by selling the materials from the Red Demon. But, it turns out only Rare-ranked Materials such as the Horns have a decent price. The rest was okay, but it''s clearly not enough to satisfy this Gloves.''
Ragna could just buy everything by using his contribution points. As long as the quest was still ongoing, these points were in demand no matter where he went. However, Dreg kept reminding him that he should no matter what, use the contribution points in such way.
Dreg was quite experienced in this kind of business. How could Ragna not believe him?
Before he knew it, the end of that day had approached. There was no other attack from the Red Demons.
...
Raka woke up from Maya. It was currently 5 AM in the morning, the perfect time to wake up in Indonesia. He tidied his room a bit before taking a shower. Today, he felt rather high spirited.
Many scientists speculated that Virtual Reality games could harm one''s mind and put an incredible amount of strain on the brain. The realistic aspect of the game made it impossible to just disregard it as a mere game. The brain would automatically register the experience as a reality, a second reality. Or that was what they thought.
After the launch, Maya had proven to be vastly different from what these scientists thought it would be. There were no strain and harm inflicted to the brain, it was even beneficial to the mind and body according to a renowned therapist. The exhaustion that Raka experienced after the fight with the First Sentinel was very unusual. In fact, it seemed like Raka had done something he shouldn''t do.
As for whether that would be harmful or beneficial to him, that still couldn''t be confirmed.
After he finished the shower, he checked his phone. It was from his senior brother, Banu.
...
"Tell me, what this is all about," Banu''s strict voice resounded inside the hall. It was still 6 AM today, Raka''s morning training wouldn''t start until 7.
"Uhh... I don''t know what you are talking about," Raka was seated in front of Banu. He knew that his senior brother was angry, but he didn''t know what he did that made him this angry.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"You''ve been acting weird these days. You started practicing martial arts again and asking how to fight multiple enemies. You may not know, but it''s been bugging me and master. Master won''t say anything, but I demand an explanation!"
Banu was still annoyed at yesterday''s incident. He had to stand guard in front of Raka''s boarding house until late. It would be okay if something really happened. At least it wouldn''t be that boring. However, nothing happened and it made all of his effort meaningless.
Raka sighed, it looked like he wouldn''t be able to hide the truth. He quickly narrated everything. How he was drawn into the game called Maya and all of the hardship he had been through.
"Don''t tell me all of these were only for a game?" Banu was dumbfounded with Raka''s explanation. He knew that the game was extremely popular but wasn''t it too excessive?
Raka nodded apologetically. Yeah, it was a bit excessive, but everything that he learned here had really helped him. His amazing potential combined with extreme training regiment from his master had resulted in his terrifying strength and combat capability that was far from average players.
Banu sighed. He didn''t say anything but in his heart, he became extremely curious about this game that really changed his junior brother.
...
After finishing his routine training, Raka headed toward his favorite place, the Home Cafe. He brought his journal with him. Today, he wanted to analyze how he can make real money from Maya. Plus, he needed to further research on his Ancient Blood Gloves'' capability.
He took a seat at his usual spot. Then he glanced around as if looking for someone. Before he knew it, someone already poked him from behind.
"Looking for me?" Dania asked with a bright smile, her mood was very good today. After reading a numerous amount of books and stories, she had found some inspirations of her own.
Ragna''s heart skipped a beat when he saw Dania''s smile. It had been so long since he saw this smile. The last time was when they were still young and it really left a profound impression on him.
"Of course, I was wondering what kind of Cafe this is to have no waitress present," He laughed, "Dania, give me the usual."
"Alright, wait a bit. I''ll be right back," She went to the kitchen for a brief moment before coming back with a hot tea and an egg sandwich. It was Raka''s favorite because he didn''t really like coffee.
After putting the food on the table, Dania took a seat beside Raka. Raka didn''t refuse because she always accompanied him if there was no other customer.
"Is it Maya again?" She asked.
"Yeah, I''m analyzing something," Raka answered while taking a sip of his hot tea. The refreshing taste of the tea made his exhausted body relax.
"You''ve been playing the game for a while. Is it really that good?"
"Well, I personally like this game. Plus, I just noticed that I can make some money while playing. That''s why I''m putting more effort to it," He didn''t think Dania''s questions as a bother. Instead, he was rather happy to be accompanied by her.
Hearing Raka''s answer, Dania slightly hesitated. She was unsure whether to tell Raka that she had also started playing Maya.
Suddenly, both of them heard an announcement from the TV that was put at the Cafe. It was a press conference from one of the top broadcasting companies, the Etra Media.
"What''s that? Is there something huge going on?" Raka asked.
"I don''t know, but I''ve heard that Etra Media has been preparing for a new program. One that is highly anticipated by the masses"
"Look at the headline, it''s about Maya! They are releasing an exclusive program for Maya!" Ragna exclaimed.
Both of them looked attentively at the screen. Their interests were piqued by the word ''Maya''.
...
Adrian was sitting behind the table. In front of him were reporters from other channels. He sat calm and collected. Even though he was still young, there was no one who questioned his capability.
A prodigy in the broadcasting industry!
After receiving a sign from the staff, he stood up from his seat. He swept his gaze at the reporters that were waiting for him to speak. From his demeanor, it could be seen that he was already experienced in speaking to the crowds.
"We at the Etra Media believed in one thing, and that is innovation. Without the capability to adapt and innovate, there will be no place for us. No, that should apply to everyone in this industry.
After months of research, we are going to introduce you to our newest program. It''s related to the current most popular issue in this country. I assume that everyone has guessed it already. Yes, it is about Maya," Adrian spoke calmly.
Everyone waited silently. They already knew that information. What they wanted to know was HOW big it would be.
"The program will be incorporating every aspect of players life and adventure inside the game. Fighting a dragon, creating a legendary weapon, and even unearthing the continent''s greatest mystery. As long as it''s interesting, we will be broadcasting it. Live and recorded.
Oh, and yes, we will be working together with the players. Everyone will be accepted. For those who seek glory and fame. This is the greatest opportunity."
Everyone was still waiting. This much information had already been expected.
"And finally, We are proud to announce that Etra Media has already become the official partner of Digdaya Group. We expect great things to come in the future." Adrian ended it with a smile
The crowds were in an uproar!
Everyone was dumbfounded with the sudden development. The reporters immediately jumped to ask questions. It was just too shocking!
What did being an official partner of Digdaya Group signifies? It meant a lot of influence, power, and information!
From this moment on, everyone knew that Etra Media had secured an unshakable position.
Chapter 63: The Invasion Begins!
Chapter 63: The Invasion Begins!
The net was in an uproar. Everyone was discussing Etra Media''s recent press conference. There were a lot of theory going, but in the end, everyone believed that it was Adrian who did the most work, resulting in the partnership between Etra Media and Digdaya Group.
Other broadcasting companies were silent. They were thinking about how to deal with the current situation. If they didn''t do anything, they were sure that Maya would be monopolized by Etra Media.
As for the players, they started thinking about Etra Media''s offer. As a gamer, there weren''t a lot of attention given to them. But now, they could become a star!
This was indeed a great opportunity!
...
Raka was still researching the opportunities in Maya. He browsed through forums to find important information. He had always been a great learner and it proved to be useful in this kind of situation. As long as it wasn''t a restricted information, he had known most of them already.
Some people said that this trait of him came from his mother''s gene.
An interesting thread caught his attention. It was regarding the starting stats in Maya. There was a theory saying that it was closely related to the player''s potential.
Potential, it was a parameter to calculate one''s growth speed. One could say that it was similar to talent. The person said that the starting stats didn''t represent the person''s current real life ''stats'', instead, it measured the person''s potential or talent.
This theory was being ridiculed by most of the reader. Even if there''s a few evidence provided, people couldn''t believe that there existed a program or tool that could measure one''s talent. That was just too bizarre.
Raka himself didn''t give it too much thought. He knew that he was somewhat above average than other people, but he didn''t believe that he was qualified to have his current starting stats. Even the highest known starting stat in one attribute was only 9. He had 10, and there was even two of them. There was no way that it was possible.
Plus, his character was already a bug. Him showing inside the Ancient Blood Cave instead of the beginner town was already an error made by the system. Him having an insane starting stats could be considered as another error that followed.
However, Raka didn''t know that Digdaya Group had never made any error in their programming.
...
Night came. Ragna was already logged back to the game.
A message suddenly came right when he entered the city. It was from Dreg.
"Hey, why don''t we team up again?" He asked.
Ragna smiled when he saw the message. He too felt somewhat comfortable partying with Dreg. Even if their skills didn''t complement each other, Dreg was an amazing player with great potential. Furthermore, after the last battle, they had developed a sense of comradery and trust.
"Sure, let''s meet up inside the Realm. It''s about to start," Ragna replied.
Ragna had a high expectation in his mind. It was the day of the invasion. From the players'' experiences, the Red Demon Invasion was a huge opportunity for players to gain contribution points. There was even a case where someone suddenly raised his rank from outside the top 100 directly to the top 5. He gained a tremendous amount of experiences and contribution points and instantly became a major player in that city.
After a while, the Astral Realm was opened once again. Ragna entered the realm but suddenly something strange happened. There were two guards blocking his way.
Ragna frowned, but he didn''t panic. He could see that both of them had a gentle expression on their face.Stolen novel; please report.
"Ragna, the prince wanted to see you," one of them said.
He was slightly confused with the sudden development. Nonetheless, he still followed the guards to Prince Artha''s camp. After receiving the rewards, the guards have a quite favorable impression toward him, especially Prince Artha. It would be very unlikely that they were meaning to harm him.
...
Inside Prince Artha''s camp.
Right when he entered the camp, he could see that Prince Artha was already waiting for him. But what shocked him was there was also Dreg inside. It seemed like both of them were invited by the prince.
They exchanged a glance with each other. There''s a hint of excitement in their eyes. It didn''t take long for them to realize the situation they were currently in.
"Ragna, Dreg, I''m sorry for the sudden invite. I have a very important request for both of you. There''s a more pressing matter than the Red Demon Invasion. It''s related to the future of Prawk City."
He continued, "You must have noticed that the ruin you found yesterday wasn''t an ordinary ruin. Indeed, that ruin is called the Ruin of Manifestation. From the records passed down in my royal lineage, we know that the ruin is a sacred heritage that contains the legacy of higher power."
Ragna and Dreg held their breath. This is it! Just give us the quest!
"I need both of you to escort me to the Ruin of Manifestation. We will set out with a small team and together we will challenge it. If we really could acquire the legacy, then the two of you will be greatly rewarded. I swore with my name on the line that you won''t be even slightly mistreated!"
| Hidden Quest: The Ruin of Manifestation
The Ruin of Manifestation is hiding a secret legacy from an unknown power. The legacy is crucial to the future of Prawk City. Escort Prince Artha to the Ruin of Manifestation and ensure his safety. If Prince Artha dies, the quest will fail and you will receive a huge penalty.
Quest Grade: B
If Prince Artha could acquire the legacy, you will be greatly rewarded. |
It really was a jackpot.
...
The invasion had begun!
Countless Red Demons could be seen advancing from the forest. Their appearances were similar to the one Ragna and Dreg had faced yesterday, except that there were also warriors, mages, and other classes mixed inside the group.
The combined force of the army and players stood still in a formation on top of a small clearing around the base. It was the stage well suited for this battlefield.
Even though the Red Demons had an advantage of it being their home ground, the base had been purposely set up in a place to negate it. There, the Red Demons couldn''t display their full might as there weren''t enough trees.
However, they players also couldn''t advance further. They could only defend and silently grit their teeth should the Red Demons choose to retreat.
Numerous arrows came from the cover of the trees, they burrowed themselves to the place where the army was. Unfortunately for them, the number of casualties was very low. The defensive formation, huge shields, and disciplined troops coupled with the players'' support made it very difficult for the Red Demons to break through their defense just by relying on their arrows.
It was at this moment that a burly Red Demon with two horns showed up. He rallied the troops from the forest to charge toward the army. The huge twin hammer in his hand gave off a very menacing aura. In fact, this aura was even stronger than the Red Demon Leader that Ragna had previously faced. If Ragna and Dreg were here, they wouldn''t even think of facing it and would instead choose to run.
He avoided most of the attacks that aimed at him from magicians and archers, the blood-colored aura seemed to dispel the majority of the damage that he couldn''t dodge. In just a few breaths, he was already in front of the army!
Bam!
The huge twin hammer was swung with unbelievable strength. The formation collapsed almost instantly, making a way for the Red Demons behind him to enter.
Naturally, the army won''t just let it go as the enemies wished. A middle-aged man with a silver armor was already standing in front of the burly Red Demon. In his hand was a silver sword with a dragon mark engraved into it. The sword emanated a terrifying aura incomparable even to the rarest weapon the players had ever seen.
A huge battle was about to start.
...
At a distance quite far from the battlefield, a small team comprised of human could be seen moving in a hurried manner. There were six of them with a handsome and kind looking man in his twenties as the lead. In fact, everyone in this party was young except for the middle-aged man in the back. Two of them were wearing the same attire as the knights, but the other two were wearing an entirely different outfit. They were both clad in crimson and azure respectively. It was Prince Artha''s team.
This team was made after also considering the war at the base. Prince Artha could at most bring one of his retainers with him. He was a powerhouse with a might that couldn''t be compared to Ragna and Dreg. In fact, he might be over level 100 already.
The rest of the team was slightly different from what Ragna had expected. The rest of them was two young man around Prince Artha''s age. It could be seen that they were from the army''s younger generation. But still, the aura they emitted was quite strong, proving that they were the elite of this generation.
Being accompanied by a mighty powerhouse might bring a sense of comfort and safety for the whole party. However, Ragna knew that this quest wasn''t a normal one. A hidden quest with B grade difficulty, that was enough to bring most people cower back in retreat.
Both Ragna and Dreg knew... that this journey wouldn''t be easy.
Chapter 64: Escorting the Prince
Chapter 64: Escorting the Prince
Inside the black forest, Prince Artha''s group was still moving nonstop. Everyone had a nervous expression on their face. Especially Prince Artha who was holding the necklace with a solemn expression.
Dreg broke the silence by quietly asking Raga, "You sure you want to accept this? This difficulty is unprecedented and has never been exposed to the forum. We might be wiped out and the end result will be disastrous if we also add the penalty from the army."
Ragna shook his head, "It''s okay, a great danger represents a greater opportunity. It''s only because of this kind of danger that I possess the power I currently have. Plus, I''m not in the mood the engage in a war against the Red Demons"
Dreg was slightly confused with what Ragna said, "Well, that''s okay too. I can''t agree more with what you said, only inside danger that opportunity can exist!"
They continued the journey. Ragna stole a glance toward Prince Artha, he was still holding the necklace while chanting something. From the looks of it, he was muttering a prayer. Something that''s considered as a habit for priests.
Ragna shrugged it off, thinking that maybe this journey was really taxing to him and he needed something to ease his mind.
Unfortunately, the peace didn''t last for long. They were spotted by a group of Red Demons.
"Commence the battle plan! Don''t let anyone escape!" Prince Artha issued the order without fail.
Ragna instantly started chanting for his spells. Today, he was just a mage, not a warrior. He was forced to show his real capability in front of Dreg, but he still wanted to conceal his power. It was the Ancient Blood Master''s warning after all.
Dreg disappeared into the trees. His movement was like a shadow, silent and unpredictable. In his hand, the Twin Night became a tool of pure slaughter.
Prince Artha charged toward the Red Demons. He had a brave look on his face. He unsheathed his sword and performed an incantation. The sword suddenly became shrouded in golden light. He was actually a Paladin!
Paladin was a rare class that could only be acquired after advancing to 2nd class. The information regarding this class was very scarce. The only known thing was that this class was very powerful based on a player''s testimony after accidentally stumbling into a Paladin who belonged to the Empire.
The other two swordsmen moved to follow the Prince. Their combat prowess was clearly far better than the normal AI. They were truly the elite of this generation.
They clashed with the Red Demons. The Prince and his two followers were clearly having the upper hand in this fight. Ragna''s exceptional use of spells made it very difficult for the demons to find the right opportunity to attack. After raising in level and upgrading his gloves, Ragna''s damage output had reached a new height. His spells were also aimed at the enemy''s critical spot, further increasing the damage. In a flash, the enemies were defeated.
Dreg also came back with his Twin Night stained in blood. It was clear that he had managed to catch the fleeing Red Demons. Only the middle-aged man stood unmoving. He remained vigilant with his aura spread out. It was as if he was waiting for a greater danger to strike.
Fortunately, nothing happened.
Prince Artha smiled, "It seems like I was right. Neither of you is less capable than my follower. Eldric and Ramos here are the best talents in the army but the two of you are comparable to them. Ragna, your rapid casting and exceptional timing of spells are truly marvelous. As for you Dreg, you really are adept at killing without the enemy noticing."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"It''s nothing, Prince," both of them humbly replied.
"Let''s continue. They must''ve noticed us. This place is their territory after all. We need to quickly enter the Ruin!" Prince Artha quickly resumed the journey.
Unfortunately for them, the ambush came faster than they expected. A whole squad of Red Demon was already waiting for them near the Ruin of Manifestation.
...
The war raged on.
Numerous players were already killed because of the Invasion. To begin with, the Red Demons and the army was at level incomparable to the majority of the players. The current average level of player was in the mid to late twenties while the Army and the Demons were already above level 40.
However, the Red Demons were not targeting players. They prioritized the army instead of the players as long as they didn''t build too much of an aggro. Of course, there would still be casualties because of the stray arrows and area spells. Some also died because of their carelessness.
In this first clash, players were being weeded. Only the one with above average skill could survive.
Yes, the goal was to survive. As long as they could survive and deal some damage, they would still earn contribution points and a huge amount of experience. It was a war after all.
...
Back to the forest.
Prince Artha''s team''s path was blocked by the Red Demons. The situation looked very grim. In fact, they would have lost their hope if not for the middle-aged protector standing behind them.
"This is really a B-grade quest after all," Dreg shook his head.
The Prince was flustered with the current situation. He couldn''t help but turn back toward his Protector. The middle-aged man understood his intention and sighed. He grabbed the sword around his waist in an attempt to unsheathe it.
Suddenly, his expression changed. He looked at the group of Red Demons blocking their way. His eyes seemed to pierce through the crowds. As if answering his doubt, a male Red Demon whose age was around him came out from behind the group. He had a calm expression and even a slight smile on his lips. If other Red Demons could be said as rather crude and savage, this man, however, exuded a refined aura.
"Long time no see, Arnold," the male Red Demon greeted. He was speaking in human language, proving that he was different from others.
Sir Arnold''s face turned dark, his eyes widened in disbelief, "You... Rakshani... It seems like you also survived that war."
"Yes. It''s been years since it happened. We were but a minor character back then."
"Hmph, I should have killed you myself, you wretched demon!" Sir Arnold snarled.
"Isn''t this the perfect time to resolve that? Let the younger generation fight among each other. We shouldn''t lower ourselves by interfering in their battle. We have our own fight after all" Rakshani grabbed his weapon, it was a blood-colored saber.
Seeing the situation, Sir Arnold whispered "Prince, this is really bad. His power is comparable to me. I can''t help much in this situation. We need to retreat"
"But... We can''t just give up. This... This is concerning the future of our dukedom!" Prince Artha disagreed. He was truly unwilling to surrender.
"Your life is more important! Heed my words! No matter how important that legacy is, there''s no use if you lose your life."
The discussion seemed to reach a deadlock. It was at this moment that Ragna suddenly spoke.
"I think we can break through"
Prince Artha and Sir Arnold''s eyes widened at Ragna''s word. They quickly asked him with a serious tone, "What do you mean? Are you serious?"
"Yes, me and my friend can deal with them. As long as Sir Arnold can keep that Rakshani away. I think we have more than 50% chance of breaking through"
Sir Arnold glared at Ragna. This youngster is too presumptuous!
"Wait, Sir Arnold! I believe him. They did kill a Red Demon Leader yesterday. As long as they can give us some time, I can enter the Ruin and close the entrance within!"
Sir Arnold was still staring ferociously at Ragna. There wasn''t much time left for discussion. He just grunted while saying, "If the plan really worked, then I can save both of you once Prince Artha entered the Ruin. However, if it fails then I can only save Prince Artha. Your fate will be left to the Red Demons over there!"
"Let''s hope for the best," Ragna replied.
Ragna quickly explained the plan. In just a moment, they nodded their head in understanding.
"You sure made it sound really easy," Dreg chortled.
"Well it''s just a bit more difficult than yesterday," Ragna shook his head.
"Then I assume it''s time for you to reveal your true strength?"
"Haven''t you been hiding it too?"
Dreg laughed, "I guess we really do suit each other"
Chapter 65: Five vs Twenty
Chapter 65: Five vs Twenty
Ragna took a deep breath. He calmed himself down before looking at the enemies. There were about twenty of them. Ragna and Dreg had killed a squad with more demon, but that''s with the pretense that they could freely run away and employ guerilla tactic.
This time, they had to fight them head on. Ragna also wouldn''t dare to do it If not for the fact he had improved his weapon and level. However, there''s no such thing as a perfect scenario on a battlefield. No one could guarantee that this plan wouldn''t go south at the critical moment.
Naturally, he had made ample preparations.
"Earth Wall!"
Ragna quickly cast an Earth Wall to start the fight. The Red Demons who saw it immediately thought that they were going to run away. They charged toward Ragna''s group to pursue them.
Before they could get close, a huge boulder flew toward them. It crashed toward one of the charging Red Demon Warrior. Even though he didn''t instantly die, his health was reduced by half.
Ragna''s group didn''t run. The Earth Wall was meant for baiting the Red Demons. In fact, they were already waiting in a formation behind the Earth Wall. Prince Artha was giving Ragna all of the buffs he had while his followers standing guard in case someone broke through.
Ragna looked at his status screen. Clear Mind, Enhanced Wisdom, and Boundless Mana were applied to him. All of these were high-ranked buffs that were still unknown to the players. Clear Mind and Enhanced Wisdom increased Intelligence and Wisdom stats respectively while Boundless Mana increased Ragna''s mana capacity and regeneration.
Ragna was also shocked when he saw that his Boulder Smash could deal that much damage toward the Red Demon Warrior. These Demons were after all slightly above level 40. Even the current elite teams had to spend quite a time to deal that much damage.
Ragna glanced at Prince Artha who was still busy giving him the buffs. It seemed like he was more suited to become a support character such as Priest instead of a Paladin. Nevertheless, he''s already satisfied with the result.
The Demon Warriors were getting nearer. About half of the overall squad were close-combatant. At this moment, they had covered about half of the starting distance. Even the ranged attackers had begun to position themselves into attacking stance. Suddenly, they felt the ground beneath them went soft. It was Quagmire.
Even though their movements were a bit obstructed, they still marched nonetheless. The burning fervor that was apparent in their eyes seemed to fuel their spirit. In fact, it was to the point of bloodlust. As if they couldn''t stand living under the same heaven with humans.
Seeing that the Earth Boulder wasn''t really effective against these Demons, Ragna changed his spell to Earth Spike. Because of the faster cooldown, he could cast them rapidly. Every time he saw a Demon gaining momentum, he would strike it with his Spike to halt their march. Even though the damage was only about 20% of their total health, it proved to be more effective in delaying their movement. One Demon even died from Ragna''s barrage of spells.
Unfortunately, because of focusing on that particular Demon, the other Demon managed to utilize the opening to close down the gap. They were already in front of Ragna''s group!
A Demon brandished his huge axe, preparing to strike Ragna. He was their utmost priority right now.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing into each other could be heard. One of Prince Artha''s elites blocked the attack before it could get through. The Demon was knocked backward from the simple exchange, showing who the one that held the advantage was. Ragna could see that even though Prince Artha and his followers were at a similar level as the Demons, they were considerably stronger than them. It was closely related to their title as an elite.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
In Maya, levels didn''t really represent power. Masteries over skills, the skills itself, combat technique, class, and many other things had to be considered. Take a look at Ragna, he was still at level 27 but his power was comparable even to a Demon Leader at level 60. Even if Dreg wasn''t there to help him, he could still solo kill her, albeit difficult. He was someone who beat the Sentinel after all.
Of course, everyone wasn''t as monstrous as Ragna. the two knights were only able to block two Demons each, they could do nothing toward the other five.
Five Demons charged toward Ragna. Each with their own weapon. In their eyes, no matter how strong Ragna''s firepower is, he''s a dead meat in a close combat. Unfortunately for them, they were wrong.
BANG!
The foremost Demon was sent flying toward another Demon on his back. Perfect angle and timing, coupled with the Demon''s carelessness at the last moment made it possible for Ragna to trigger a knockback effect from his Crimson Claw Strike. Without even pausing, he quickly cast the Earth Spike that he had chanted toward another Demon. With a dull sound, the Demon was also knocked backward.
Seeing their comrades being sent flying made the other two Demons hesitate. Ragna who was just a frail mage suddenly become a war god right in front of their eyes. The ferocious look in Ragna''s eyes made them shiver in fear. After surviving through numerous battles and enemies, Ragna had also developed a certain amount of fierceness inside him.
Seeing that the Demons were hesitating, Ragna took the initiative and charged toward them. He nimbly dodged their sword before fiercely stabbing his own fist toward one of the Demon''s throat. A fierce shriek resounded accompanied with a notice of a critical hit. Blood could be seen trickling from his throat, Ragna had managed to induce a bleeding status to him.
The other Demon was also not spared from Ragna''s attack. A huge boulder was fired from a point blank distance toward his head. He was sent flying toward a tree at the same time as the system announced another critical hit.
Prince Artha and his followers couldn''t help but be dumbfounded with Ragna''s prowess. To think that a mage could be this strong in a close combat! A fire was ignited in Prince Artha''s eyes. Before, he was ready to protect Ragna, but now he unhesitatingly used all of his support buffs toward him. He didn''t spare any of his mana and poured out everything, especially the one that could boost his physical combat strength.
Light showered upon Ragna''s body. He was bathed in Prince Artha''s buffs. He could feel his power rising tremendously. This kind of ability was truly befitting of a hidden class, except that it was supposed to be used to buff oneself not other.
''Prince Artha... he''s strange''
Ragna couldn''t help but think strangely of Prince Artha. His action was unbefitting of his class. A Paladin was supposed to be leading in front while buffing his allies, but what he did was supporting his allies from the back. It was a more priest-like attitude.
Still, he couldn''t complain about it. Not now, at least. The Demons had risen up and were ready to engage in another fight. They wouldn''t let their guard down again this time. The battle would be considerably harder for Ragna without the element of surprise. Not to mention that he was overwhelmed by their number.
"KU RA GA!"
The Demons let out their battle cries. Their expression instantly changed to one of a ferociousness. There wasn''t even a shred of fear left in their eyes.
They approached Ragna carefully, surrounding him with their encirclement. This was the true form of a squad. They had created their own understanding of each other and immediately responded with a proper plan to each and every situation.
The Demons attacked Ragna in a rhythm. Every time he showed an opening, they attacked together. There''s always one or two Demons who didn''t attack to cover them in case Ragna counterattacked. Ragna was helpless in this situation, neither of them could inflict considerable damage to each other. It was a stalemate.
But a stalemate was what he''s hoping for.
The Demons felt something was strange. They quickly realized and looked back. To their shock, a rogue and a shaman had already fallen from their ranks. The rest of them were in a disarray, frantically throwing spells and arrows toward their concealed enemy to no avail. It was Dreg, and he''s not an easy target to hit.
Ragna smirked, he quickly used this moment of surprise to break through the encirclement. By using his combo of Crimson Claw Strike and Earth Boulder, he''s able to kill the Demon with the lowest health. The formation crumbled, and Ragna managed to get out.
The Demons were furious, but there were nothing that they could do. In fact, they didn''t know how to respond. If they went back and help their rear, they would get bombarded with Ragna''s spell. Showing one''s back was never a good decision in combat. Meanwhile, if they stayed fighting like this, then their ranged attackers and shamans were doomed to be annihilated.
Chapter 66: B-Grade Quest Indeed
Chapter 66: B-Grade Quest Indeed
The situation looked very grim for the Demons. They were trapped in a difficult position. No matter what they''d do, it would still bring a lot of loss for them. Honestly speaking, they did underestimate Ragna''s group''s ability, but what''s happening was beyond their wildest imagination.
They had left a rogue to escort their rear. In fact, there were also archers in their ranks. Unfortunately, Dreg had insta-killed the rogue without him having the opportunity to struggle. He''s already gone before the archers could locate him. Using this moment of hesitation, he also killed their shaman, reducing their number to 8.
This time, however, he couldn''t get out unscathed. After getting hit by a barrage of their attacks, his health dropped to yellow bar. Of course, if not for his exquisite footwork and evasive skills, he would be dead 10 out of 10.
''This is enough,'' he thought inwardly. As long as he could distract the long ranged attacker''s attention, Ragna could fight the rest of them. It was only a matter of time before the group of Demons crumbles.
Naturally, the Demons wouldn''t let that happen.
They quickly changed into a defensive formation. The same situation could also be seen in their rear. Everyone covered each other while slowly moving closer to the other group. This way, their vanguard could once again regroup with the rear. It was very brilliant. It''s quite hard to think that they''re merely Demons. Their thought process wasn''t even a bit worse than human.
''This... they are amazing,'' Ragna exclaimed. This situation was indeed a bit different from what he had encountered during his previous battle with the scout group. It seemed like even within the ranks of Demons, this group could be considered above average.
The Demons got closer and closer. Ragna and Dreg immediately reacted, they keep sending their barrage of skills toward the Demons. Now that they had become passive, it''s their best chance to attack.
After a few breath, another Demon warrior fell. Meanwhile, on Dreg''s side, he also killed a Demon Archer and Mage. However, they managed to regroup, substantially increasing their defensive capability. It''s true that they suffered some casualties, but it''s still a lot better compared to the collapse of the whole group.
This situation should be disadvantageous for Ragna, but instead of frowning, his lips turned into a smile.
"Now!"
The ground where the Demons stood suddenly turned into a deep quagmire. They were startled but quickly resumed their defensive position. Shamans and Magicians prepared their defensive spell. But contrary to their expectation, there was no attack aimed at them. Instead, a huge earthen wall suddenly sprang from the ground, blocking their vision!
"Run! The Ruin is straight ahead," Prince Artha shouted.
The Demons were dumbfounded. They immediately realized that their objective wasn''t to stall, but to prevent the group from entering the Ruin. They had been tricked!
From the moment when they were still on the offensive until the current situation where they had no choice but to be on defense, Ragna''s control of the battlefield could only be described as perfect. He could control the whole battlefield, making the Demons unable to see through his plan.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
"ARRGH!"
The Demons eyes'' turned crimson once again. They immediately struggled to break through Ragna''s quagmire. Unfortunately, Ragna kept on spamming his skills while also increasing the distance, slowing the process substantially. As for Dreg, he also threw his hidden weapons to interrupt their spells.
''As long as we can stall them, Prince Artha should be able to enter the Ruin together with his followers,'' Ragna and Dreg shared the same thought.
It was slightly unfortunate that they couldn''t also enter the Ruin. Their sense told them that the place would be full of opportunities and treasures. Alas, one couldn''t get too greedy. To be able to gain a lot of contribution points was already a great fortune for them. If they insisted on entering the Ruin, there''s no telling what would happen. In fact, there might be unknown danger and internal strife among Prince Artha''s group and them.
...
Sir Arnold and Rakshani are still engaged in a fight. Brilliant sword and saber lights could be seen flying about. Rakshani took a glance at the current situation of the battle and he was a bit startled to see what was happening. Sir Arnold had also noticed it and he was trying his best to block Rakshani from interfering.
"What? Do you still have enough strength to watch over another battle?" Sir Arnold shouted. The light that shrouded his sword got brighter, emanating a terrifying pressure. Whenever he swung his sword, a deep crevice would appear. It was the power of the older generation. The terrifying strength of the experts inside the kingdom. At this stage of the game, it was only a wishful thinking if players wanted to wage a war against the kingdom.
Rakshani only smirked in response, "Do I need to, though?"
...
The escape ran very smoothly. In just a while, Prince Artha''s group could already see the outline of the Ruin. Following a distance behind them was Ragna and Dreg who were still busy stalling for them. If not for Lily''s potions and Prince Artha''s buffs, Ragna''s mana might not suffice. Furthermore, he also had his strange soul stats.
''Soul... what a strange type of energy. It could replenish my mana and health when it reached a certain point. If not for this, I''m afraid my wisdom and intelligence stats won''t be enough to handle the spell''s mana consumption,'' Ragna muttered.
Because of his soul stats also had its own regeneration rate, he could somehow sustain all the spells he cast. It was akin to having about twice of his usual regeneration rate. Plus, the conversion wasn''t always 1:1, it could change depending on the situation.
Seeing that the Ruin was already close, Dreg shouted, "There shouldn''t be any more surprise, right?"
"Why is it that I feel like there''s something when you say that," Ragna retorted.
"GRROAARR!"
Unfortunately, there''s indeed another surprise. An earth-shaking roar could be heard at the direction of Prince Artha''s group. A huge Demon holding a great sword suddenly appeared in front of Prince Artha''s group. From the looks of it, the Demon should also have reached at least Leader rank.
Using its huge arm, the Demon swung its greatsword toward Prince Artha. Judging from the raw pressure it emitted, there''s no way they could block it.
BAM!
One of Prince Artha''s follower desperately blocked the attack and was sent flying because of the terrifying force behind the attack. He smashed into a tree before losing consciousness. His body was covered in blood and wounds. He''s seriously injured.
The knight''s sacrifice wasn''t for nothing. Because of him, Prince Artha was able to survive unharmed. However, they could no longer leave by now as their path was being blocked the Huge Demon.
Ragna and Dreg looked at each other with a complicated expression. Even if they didn''t say it, they already knew what their counterpart''s thought was.
''This really is a B-Grade Quest''
...
Inside Prabu''s room, Digdaya HQ, Jakarta City.
"Have you found the person?" A clear and dignified voice resounded within the room.
The man was already more than fifty-five years old, but he didn''t look aged and decrepit. Instead, he had a rather vigorous look on his face. You could feel your heart clench just by standing in front of him. It''s a natural pressure that he built over a lifetime of experiences. He was Prabu, the owner of Digdaya Corp. The creator of Maya.
"Unfortunately not, there''s no other sign of him/her appearing," Patih answered while kneeling on one knee.
Prabu sighed, "Nayana really hid them well. If not for the fact that we found Arthur, this expedition might have become our loss."
Patih nodded and left, leaving Prabu alone inside the room. Meanwhile, the latter''s eyes were fixed on the former''s back.
Prabu muttered slowly, "I hope you won''t disappoint me like him..."
Chapter 67: The Path of an Expert
Chapter 67: The Path of an Expert
Crane had been feeling a bit strange these days.
After his last fight against Ragna, he had thought that the latter would develop some sort of enmity and would chase after him. Fortunately, that didn''t seem to be the case. For some strange reason, Dreg had befriended Ragna and the former had told him that Ragna himself was unwilling to waste more of his time. The compensation was the Blue Salamander Staff he dropped.
''Strange fellow,'' he muttered inwardly. He did say that but there was a hint of a smile on his face. A real expert shouldn''t bother themselves with weaker opponents. They had a bigger thing to pursue, a greater goal to achieve.
''I guess being that kind of an expert isn''t that bad.''
After losing the most important part of his Blue Salamander Set, Crane got fiercely reprimanded by his guild. He lost other parts of his set and his position went rock-bottom when compared to other geniuses the guild nurtured.
It didn''t take him a long time to choose to leave the guild. He had no guild right now. He lost all the power, authority, and most importantly all the resources he used to have. Strangely, he didn''t feel sad. Instead, he felt like he had lost all the chains that were binding him. He could once again enjoy the game like the time when he had just started the game.
"Boss! Look, that Demon is about to die!" The loud sound from his party chat woke Crane up from his stupor.
He immediately concentrated and released his fully-powered Frost Nova toward the Demon. Because of his precise timing and overwhelming magic power, the Demon instantly died. He could see the huge increase in his experience bar from killing the Demon.
"Another Demon is about to fall. Come here to location D-32 Boss!"
Crane quickly dashed toward the place it designated and found Jeanne pointing toward a tattered Demon that was about to die. Another Frost Nova was released, killing the Demon.
"Great job Boss but you can''t just doze off in the middle of the battle," the same sound that woke him up from his previous daze resounded again. Naturally, he knew that voice belonged to Drom.
"Hahaha, sorry guys. Come on, let''s put more effort and concentration. We need to hit at least level 30 today. Remember to keep moving and keep an eye toward dying Demon. If we could do it right, no one will notice us," Crane shouted.
After killing the Demon, Dreg instantly moved toward another position. His team also moved alongside him while forming a huge circle. This way, they could cover a huge area and Crane could immediately come to any side that needed him.
His team could gain a lot of experience just from scouting. Even if it was Crane who dealt the killing blow, a lot of experience was also distributed toward them. As long as their level difference wasn''t that huge, the experience will still flow.
Of course, he could feel a lot of hateful gazes directed toward him. Dreg could only shake his head, he needed to use this opportunity when people still hadn''t realized that he''s already out of the guild to get stronger as fast as possible. He estimated that by the time the news spread out, he would already be at a level that normal player wouldn''t dare to offend.
Ah, the road to becoming an expert is truly a perilous and hard one.
...
Back to Ragna''s group.
Ragna glanced at the knight who was sent flying away by the huge Demon. There was no sign of movement from him and it seemed like he had fainted. The only knight left was the other one and he was now confronting the huge demon. By the looks of it, he couldn''t last much longer either.
Ragna looked at Dreg. Noticing that the latter was also looking at him, he said, "We need to hold that Demon, there''s no other choice."You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
"Yeah, but there wouldn''t be much chance of our survival."
"Isn''t that ten times better than failing the quest?"
Dreg nodded. In this current situation, there''s no point in being greedy. If Prince Artha died, the kingdom would surely punish them. In fact, they might be labeled as a fugitive.
"Hold the mobs, I''ll confront the Boss," Ragna said resolutely.
...
Prince Artha was trembling in fear.
He never thought that there would be a huge Demon waiting for an ambush at this place. It was just too strange. A huge war was occurring at another place but they sent some of their troops guarding this place. One had to know that a Leader-type Demon could be considered a powerhouse in this war. On top of it, there''s even Rakshani.
A Demon at that level of power should be the one in charge of commanding the war.
Strange. Too strange.
There were only two answers to this. One, there''s a spy hidden inside his group. Or two, this place really held that MUCH of significance toward them.
DUAK!
The only remaining knight at his side was smashed by the Demon. The knight lay flat on the ground, unable to move. From the start, he was no match for a level 60+ Demon that specialized in raw power. Level 50 was a boundary that signified a huge leap in power and naturally, it''s also applied to Monsters and NPCs.
Prince Artha immediately awakened from his daze. He was smart but his brain was just not suited for battle. In this kind of situation, he couldn''t come up with any answer.
''Father... Is this the end?''
It was at this moment that suddenly a huge boulder came flying toward the charging Demon''s figure. The Demon quickly blocked it with his hands, resulting in the debris flying everywhere. Using it as a cover, a figure came straight toward the Demon and attacked by using his right fist that was covered in a crimson aura.
Ragna had arrived for the rescue.
...
"I''ll hold the Demon, go straight toward the Ruin!" Ragna shouted.
"Bu, But..."
"JUST GO!"
Prince Artha gritted his teeth but he didn''t immediately run. He quickly cast a few of his buffs to support Ragna before starting to run. It seemed like he just couldn''t bear to leave Ragna the way it is, His conscience wouldn''t allow him.
''What a strange prince.''
Ragna shook his head.
''I don''t dislike it, though,''
As someone who grew up in a harsh environment, Ragna saw Prince Artha as a naive person. Truthfully, he should have at least a bit of suspicion toward him. Furthermore, during the time where his life was at stake, he still cared for other people. Even while running, he still glanced at Ragna and his fainted subordinates with eyes full of regret.
"It''s been a long time since I had a good fight."
Ragna readied his stance.
"ORRAAAAA!"
The Demon brandished its greatsword. A blood-colored aura enveloped the blade, the pressure was enough to suffocate normal people.
DUAR!
The attack literally destroyed everything in its path. Even the ground wasn''t spared from its explosive might.
Of course, such a huge attack wouldn''t be able to hit Ragna. No matter how huge an attack is, if it couldn''t hit then there''s no point in launching it. There''s indeed a huge pressure from the attack but it didn''t affect Ragna because of his Stone Blood passive skill.
He quickly circled the Demon, trying to find the best angle to attack. He found the right opportunity and immediately launch a fist.
A dull sound could be heard from the collision. The Crimson Strike only left a slight black mark on the Demon''s red skin. Clearly, the attack wasn''t effective.
Even though the attack didn''t hurt him, the Demon was enraged. He let out a loud howl that made the black tattoo that covered his skin to brighten. Suddenly, Ragna could feel that the pressure the Demon emitted was disappearing. No, it didn''t disappear, it was compressed inside the latter''s body.
BAM! BAM!
Fast. The Demon became faster at a frightening rate. Before, its attack was slower than normal Demon, but now it became faster than them, losing only to the first Demon Leader that Ragna and Dreg had slain.
''Left, Right, Left, Left, Up''
However, the Demon couldn''t even hit Ragna. After being baptized by the trial inside the Ancient Blood Temple, Ragna''s battle sense had awakened. The numerous battles he had fought in the Astral Realm only served to polish it further.
The ground beneath his feet was already destroyed beyond recognition but it didn''t affect him in the slightest. His eyes were constantly moving from the Demon''s eyes, to its body, and to the ground. By doing so, he could gather a lot of information needed to dodge the attack.
Innate Battle Genius. If Mr. Romi was here, he would immediately think so. It was a title given only to someone who could fight at Ragna''s level despite only training for a short time. If Ragna didn''t stop practicing his martial arts during his childhood, who knows what realm he could have achieved by now.
In Mr. Romi''s generation, there was only one person that was given the title.
After continuously exchanging blows, the Demon became somewhat exhausted. Ragna could notice it and found the opening he had waited for. The crimson glow in his hand was instantly replaced with a blood-colored light. Ragna planted his feet on the ground while pulling his right hand back beside his waist. His left hand slightly brushed against the Demon''s hand that was holding the sword, making the sword miss its target and hit the ground. At this moment, the Demon''s chest area was unguarded!
SOUL STRIKE!