Chapter 138
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: The Dragon Slayer's Spoils
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A Hidden Piece, not something easily obtained.
Not only were they divided into special situations and titles, but these were precious rewards earned by defeating a Red Dragon.
And as if to prove his prediction correct...
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[Slayer of ???]
* Classification: Special Situation
* Scope: You
* Effect: All stats +10%
* Effect - Perception of ??? (Passive): You will be perceived by beings of the ???-rank.
* Description: You contributed the most to the defeat of a ???-rank monster, an existence beyond the standard scale. Due to the rise in the dimension's standing, the probability of more ???-rank beings crossing over has increased, and they are highly likely to appear near you. However, whether they appear as friend or foe will depend on your judgment.
[Dragon Slayer]
* Classification: Title
* Effect: All stats +5%. However, when confronting a dragon, all stats increase by +50%.
* Effect - Dragon Killer (Passive): You become hostile to all dragons.
* Description: By hunting the Red Dragon Porleirn, you have become a Dragon Slayer. However, dragons are a species with extremely few numbers across all dimensions. All dragons will turn hostile toward you, and you will be hunted to the death, especially by the Red Dragon clan.
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“……”
Two Hidden Pieces boasting options that made his jaw drop.
It was astounding enough that these two Hidden Pieces alone offered the game-breaking effect of increasing all his stats by a whopping 15%.
What’s more, when facing a dragon, all applicable stats would be inflated tenfold.
However, he couldn't simply rejoice over these incredible benefits.
‘Is this what they mean by ‘there’s no such thing as a free lunch’?’
Was it because they gave so much in terms of stats?
The additional effects were a perfect fit for the high-risk, high-return principle.
Honeybees and players.
Even now, they had only just managed to take down a ???-rank monster after no small number of sacrifices.
But now, the possibility of more of those out-of-scale monsters appearing had increased, and he was being hunted by dragons?
‘So I’m just supposed to wait to be devoured by a dragon?’
Frankly, the part about being hunted by dragons was absurd.
If you really thought about it, the Red Dragon had started it all.
Sure, the death of its hatchling was a valid reason for anger, but this world had always been one where the strong preyed on the weak.
Besides, if it was about revenge, hadn't wiping out the Russian server been enough?
In the end, it was the Red Dragon's decision to aim for the annihilation of humanity.
A mere crimson lizard had messed with Seong-hyeok and ended up as a whole roast barbecue, and for that, he was being hunted…
‘For its size, it sure was incredibly petty.’
The narrow-mindedness of dragons, so unbecoming of their massive bodies.
Looking at it now, he felt that the tiny honeybees had hearts as vast as the Pacific Ocean compared to them.
*Bzzzzz~*
*Bzeeeeeee~*
“That’s right. You adorable things.”
Was it because Seong-hyeok was thinking of the honeybees?
The swarm of bees, having quickly noticed through the Bee Link, wiggled their bottoms even more energetically, expressing themselves to Seong-hyeok.
For a moment, he wore a fatherly smile at their actions, so full of charm they could melt one like honey.
But remembering the great sacrifice of the honeybees, his anger began to boil up again.
“...I have to get stronger.”
Like it or not, these two Hidden Pieces made one thing certain.
There was a possibility that an entity similar to, or even stronger than, the Red Dragon Porleirn would appear.
The plan to prepare for what was to come wasn't particularly complicated.
Seong-hyeok himself had to grow, arm himself further, and become stronger.
The one silver lining was that, through the Red Dragon raid, Seong-hyeok had jumped from level 54 to level 61 in an instant.
Naturally, the advantage that came with it was, needless to say, the addition of new skills.
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[Guardian's Bounty (Lv.1)]
* Classification: Skill
* Mana Cost: 5,000
* Effect (Active): For 24 hours, the movement speed of all honeybees belonging to your retinue increases by 30%, and their honey storage capacity increases by 10%. (Cooldown: 24 hours)
* Effect - Bee Acceleration: For all honeybees within a 5km radius, this effect is doubled.
* Description: You invoke the Guardian's Bounty to increase the efficiency of the honeybees' movement speed and honey storage. The effect strengthens as the level increases.
[Guardian's Focused Assault (Lv.1)]
* Classification: Skill
* Mana Cost: 3,000
* Effect (Active): For 10 minutes, the aggression of nearby honeybees is pushed to its absolute limit. (Cooldown: 1 hour)
* Effect - Bee Rampage: The attack power of all honeybees within a 10km radius increases tenfold.
* Description: A relentless barrage of attacks will sometimes prove more threatening than any defense. The effect strengthens as the level increases.
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Two skills acquired upon reaching levels 55 and 60, respectively.
Guardian's Resolve alone had played a huge role in drastically reducing the honeybees' sacrifices and allowing them to fight well during the Red Dragon subjugation. Buff-type skills were extremely efficient for a massive swarm of honeybees.
Moreover, the effects of the two skills he had just obtained were very much to Seong-hyeok's liking.
From 'Guardian's Bounty', which could be applied indefinitely if cast off cooldown, to 'Guardian's Focused Assault', which seemed incredibly effective for offense.
If he could use them in the right place at the right time, it wouldn't be an overstatement to call them top-tier skills.
But could anything ever be perfect?
‘Does this mean I have to put the honeybees on the front line again?’
There was just one thing.
The disappointing part was that they had no direct, significant impact on strengthening himself.
But what was that saying? If you don't have teeth, chew with your gums.
If skills couldn't fill the gap, he would just have to fill it with items.
After all, the biggest thing Seong-hyeok had gained from this raid was still left.
“Dragons really don't have a single part to throw away, huh?”
It was the body of the Red Dragon itself, from the meat used for the whole roast barbecue to every other part, none of which went to waste.
* * * * *
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[Heart of the Red Dragon Porleirn (★★★★★+)] - Legendary Treasure
※ Upon consumption, this item becomes bound and cannot be unequipped. To obtain ownership, the bound target must be killed.
* Classification: Consumable, Material (Evolution)
* Related to Draconic Tongue, all types of mana, and blazing flames.
* Upon consumption, you will acquire the Authority Specializations '???' and '???' one time only. Current consumption 0 / 1
※ ??? (Permanent): ???
※ ??? (Permanent): ???
* Usage Restriction: All stats 2,000 or higher
* Description: The heart of the ★★★★★+ rank, where all of the Red Dragon Porleirn's mana is concentrated. As a high-quality dragon heart, consuming it will grant you the unique authority and immense power of a dragon.
[Eye of the Red Dragon Porleirn (★★★★★+)] x 2
* Classification: Material
* Description: A ★★★★★+ rank dragon's eye. It holds the dragon's unique insight that can see through anything and is imbued with dense mana. It can be processed in various ways.
[Scale of the Red Dragon Porleirn (★★★★★+)] x 82
[Blood of the Red Dragon Porleirn (★★★★★+)] x 350
…….
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“I’ll entrust the scales and blood to the blacksmiths, and I’d like to ask you two to handle the eyes.”
“Leave it to us, sir. We’ll repay you with a masterpiece.”
“An excellent choice. I shall reward you with a skill that never falters.”
Although there were no weapons or accessories, it didn't matter, as the dragon's byproducts more than made up for that lack.
‘Finally living up to its size, in death.’
Contrary to its petty, narrow-minded heart, the creature's scales, blood, and bones boasted a generous bounty.
When these materials met the numerous blacksmiths on the bee farm, the farm's overall strength would surely see a great increase.
After handing one eye each to Kim Cheol-gang and Fergus, Seong-hyeok finished the distribution and stared intently at the bloody mass in his hands.
‘This one... I’ll definitely have to consume it myself.’
A giant, blood-red gem large enough to fill Seong-hyeok's chest.
It was Porleirn's Dragon Heart.
Befitting a ???-rank monster, its heart boasted the grade of a 'Legendary' Treasure, not an ordinary one.
From Zerr's Meatballs to Salamet's Mud Essence.
Through his past experiences, he knew that special Authority Specializations fulfilled the awakening conditions for the Honeybee Guardian. Consumption had long since become a necessity, not a choice.
However, as the saying goes, look before you leap.
Seong-hyeok had no intention of thoughtlessly bringing it to his mouth.
“How much?”
- I figured you’d call, so I had it ready.
The many '???' notations on the Dragon Heart.
He knew the drill by now.
The result of paying points to clear away the unsettling unknowns was just as he had expected.
* Upon consumption, you will acquire the Authority Specializations 'Draconic Tongue' and 'Half-Dragon' one time only. Current consumption 0 / 1
※ Draconic Tongue (Permanent): Maximum mana increases by 30%, and the casting time of all skills is greatly increased. However, if your total stats do not exceed 12,000, you may become an imbecile.
※ Half-Dragon (Permanent): Maximum health increases by 30%, and you become able to use a portion of the Red Dragon's power. However, if the Dragon Heart is damaged, your entire race will be corrupted into a Twisted Dragon.
No matter how good something was, there was always a trap card mixed in.
No, perhaps it was so good that these were added for balance?
But while the penalty for Draconic Tongue was one thing, the penalty for Half-Dragon was completely unexpected.
“It can't be damaged. Does that mean I just have to swallow it whole?”
A penalty that could only be avoided by swallowing it whole, without even chewing.
Of course, transcending the frail human form to become a dragon might seem quite appealing. But the important part was the prefix 'Twisted'.
‘Well, it’s not like I want to shed my humanity anyway.’
Besides, no matter how strong he became, he had no desire to stop being human, which was a firm factor.
His mindset was prepared, and he had grasped the Dragon Heart's penalties.
All that was left was to consume it, but there was still a problem.
“...How am I supposed to eat this without chewing?”
As previously mentioned, the Dragon Heart was enormous, large enough to fill Seong-hyeok's chest.
Unless Seong-hyeok was an alien lifeform, swallowing this in one go was simply impossible for the human body.