Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Capricious' Top Ranker: Western Flower
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Chapter 118
The ranker who does as she pleases. Among Ark's rankers, she's one you could count from the top without running out of fingers on either hand.
That's Western Flower.
Even as fellow rankers, it was disadvantageous for Method, a thief-class player, to face her head-on.
"Tch!"
Method clicked her tongue and glanced toward where Western Flower had appeared.
The edge of the wasteland. The forest path leading to Sillaremit was visible.
*The trees hid her.*
If it had been open wasteland, she would've spotted Western Flower charging from afar. Then she could've come up with countermeasures.
Like abandoning revenge on Meteor and fleeing.
But that was water under the bridge. Western Flower was already right in front of her.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Western Flower checked on Meteor's condition. But even as she did, her eyes never left Method.
*If only she'd let her guard down a little.*
But Method's wish didn't reach Western Flower. Even if it had, she wouldn't have granted it anyway.
"I heard you had quite the fun time impersonating me."
"It wasn't fun. Your allies ruined it all."
"Serves you right."
With that retort, Western Flower turned to Meteor.
"Any questions for her, or other business?"
"None."
"Then I can kill her now, right?"
"By all means."
The moment Meteor finished speaking, Western Flower swung her sword.
Kwaaaang!
Sword energy shot from her blade, slamming into the wasteland. Method dodged the first strike with nimble footwork, but there was no time to relax.
Western Flower's attacks came relentlessly, monstrous in their fury.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
Watching from behind, Meteor was impressed.
Each blow felt like a bomb exploding. No finesse—just raw power overwhelming everything, and that power was utterly dominant.
Meteor himself wouldn't last a moment against Western Flower.
*And it's not just brute force.*
Method was quick, so Western Flower's attacks didn't seem all that effective. No matter how powerful, they were useless if they didn't connect.
But Western Flower knew that too, apparently. From the start, she didn't aim directly at Method. Instead, she slowly isolated her, gradually tightening the noose around her movement radius.
Even as she unleashed massive sword energy, she peppered in smaller bursts to fill the gaps inevitable in big swings.
*She has real combat sense.*
Her movements were worlds apart from players who just brawled on stats alone.
Kwaaaang!
"Urk!"
Western Flower's attack finally hit Method. She barely blocked with her dagger, but her deeply furrowed face showed it had done serious damage. She hurriedly pulled out a potion.
Taang!
A bullet flew in, shattering the potion bottle. Method's furious glare turned to Meteor.
"You little...!"
Kwaang!
No time for curses. Another heavy sword strike sent her body flying like a leaf in the wind.
"Ah, fuck!"
Method's enraged shout echoed. But Western Flower's mighty sword energy and Meteor's occasional bullets paid no heed to her yells, unflinching.
Pukeok!
Western Flower's sword plunged into Method's abdomen. Even as a ranker, she'd held out impressively till now—but that was her limit.
"Hoo!"
Method let out a deep sigh. Then she glared at Meteor and Western Flower in turn with axe-like eyes.
"Remember this, you bastards. Someday, I'll make sure you lot...!"
Pukeok!
Western Flower kicked Method.
Her HP was already depleted, so it didn't do extra damage, but it shut her up nicely.
Method rolled across the ground and vanished.
"Seriously, if you're gonna lose, just go quietly without the chatter."
Muttering that, Western Flower sheathed her sword.
A bundle lay where Method had disappeared. Western Flower moved to pick it up, then looked at Meteor.
"Mind if I take this?"
"Of course not."
Western Flower had done the fighting. Meteor had fired a few shots, sure, but that was just to annoy Method a bit. It paled next to her performance.
Western Flower collected Method's drop items. Her expression showed no change as she checked them. No idea if they were good or not. But it wasn't his concern.
"Thank you for the help."
Once she finished inspecting the items, Meteor expressed his gratitude. The Necronomicon replica fiasco had wrapped up, but he'd nearly died at the very end.
It was just a game death anyway—not real life—and he'd died plenty before, so one more time held no terror.
Still, not dying was always better. Dropping the item from Cooking Day would've been a real loss.
"You said you'd come back, so I kept my word."
"I know this isn't something to brush off with words like that."
On her way from Edwin to Sillaremit, after hearing from Cooking Day that Method had stolen Meteor's Necronomicon replica, she'd raced full-tilt to Brandel Wasteland.
All to help Meteor and Beauty Art.
She'd gotten word midway that things had worked out, but she didn't slow down.
She didn't know what Halloween Pumpkin or Method might do next. They could've lashed out at Meteor or Beauty Art in frustration.
Fortunately, she'd gotten a message that Beauty Art handled Halloween Pumpkin, but Method was still out there.
Her worries proved right—Method attacked Meteor. And she'd barely managed to protect him.
Even after hearing the incident was mostly resolved, she hadn't stopped her sprint—just in case. That judgment call was a win.
And Meteor knew it well.
Despite having the lowest combat power, she'd kept messaging back and forth to be the first to reach him near Sillaremit.
"So next time one of our guildmates needs help, no matter who, lend a hand. Ah, but don't drop your own stuff for it—only when you've got the spare time."
"Got it."
Meteor nodded.
After that, the two parted ways. Neither was the chatty type, so once business was done, there was nothing left to say.
A slight bow to each other—one headed to Sillaremit, the other back to Brandel Wasteland.
And so, the uproar over the Necronomicon replica came to a close.
* * *
The Necronomicon replica incident drew massive global attention.
The emergence of an incredibly valuable item like the Necronomicon replica. Top rankers from Capricious and C.O.T.S clashing over it. And the twists that unfolded during the event.
To a world starved for Ark info, this was huge—something to talk about for months.
Naturally, people fixated on the outcome.
-So Capricious won, right?
-Yeah
Talk buzzed across communities.
-Beauty Art really used the Necronomicon replica?
-Seems legit
-No way it's fake, right? Too many backstabs in this mess to trust easy -lol fr- Fair suspicion tho
But their doubts evaporated with videos uploaded simultaneously to Meteor and Beauty Art's channels.
《Trying Out the Necromancer Upgrade Item, Necronomicon》
The footage showed Beauty Art using the Necronomicon replica crystal clear.
No matter how skeptical, no one could deny direct evidence.
Interest in the replica's fate fizzled fast.
Then focus shifted to the incident itself—how it started, how it unfolded, the result.
The summary was simple.
-Baby Bed tried to snatch the Necronomicon replica but got totally played by Meteor lol--Baby Bed schemed pretty smart too tbh--Method's ability is kinda busted if used right-
-Peak con artist power lol
-Con artists need brains too. Dumb ones can't scam--Still got fleeced by Meteor--Guess they're dumber than him
But it was too epic for such a simple wrap-up.
-Think about it: four rankers clashed--White Skull's semi-ranker status bumps the scale--Any other non-guild-war like this?--Not recently at least--Yeah Even stripping side stuff, this was massive.
Not just awe at the scale—
-Baby Bed lost to Capricious again?--Not just lost. Got utterly wrecked--Capricious kept two rankers and Meteor alive; Baby Bed lost both rankers plus their hired White Skull at the end. Total stomp.
Some analyzed the win-loss.
But their top interest wasn't scale or victor.
It zeroed in on one person over time.
-But seriously, what the hell is Meteor's deal?-
Talk turned to Meteor.
-It all started cuz he got the Necronomicon replica--From an unknown linked quest too--Up to there, lucky guy. But then he baited two rankers--Smart? Quick-witted? Dumb luck?--Nah, he schemed well--lol Method thought she conned him good, giggling, then face drops when backstabbed. Priceless--Heard the victims got sweet revenge?--Duh, cathartic af.
He's scammed a few before for sure--Meteor's skilled too. Blew up from extra boss clears--TLDR: Extra boss killer so physical's top; luck for hidden quest Necro replica; brains to bait Method & ranker duo?--What a cheat char--Novels like that get flamed nowadays--One more: Carries black bread like normal tastebuds--lol that's not a plus--Eating anything tasty's a plus?--Kinda? lol--One thing's sure: Watching him play won't be boring.
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