Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: The Last Knight (2)
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Marquis Lükburg.
The letter he'd sent via Lukkeu contained many stories unfolding at the border.
From Changcheon gathering nobles to display his power, to the small wars that were repeatedly waged.
The end of the letter read:
[I want them to feel what I felt when I met you at the royal palace.]
Hyun-soo was puzzled.
Why would the demoted marquis suddenly decide to support Barad?
It was Lukkeu who explained.
“My father and His Majesty shared the same will: to protect the small Goyad Kingdom. But their methods differed. That difference is what led to what happened.”
Lukkeu looked at Hyun-soo as if he were someone extraordinary.
“But after hearing that the king had taken you under his wing, he made a decision and was demoted. However, he said that in the Araham territory, he came to understand His Majesty's will.”
Hyun-soo wore a look of surprise.
Just one person, me, caused all that?
“My father dreams of a Goyad Kingdom where the power of the sword and the blacksmith coexist.”
Hyun-soo immediately sent a reply.
If what Marquis Lükburg wanted was an overwhelmingly powerful entrance like before, he needed to figure out how to appear.
Fortunately, Nel was near the border.
[Nel: Nobles from the Praham Kingdom keep appearing. The morale of the Goyad Kingdom is falling. The third knight just fell.]
Listening to her report, Hyun-soo rode swiftly on horseback.
When he reached the border, Nel spoke.
[Nel: Even though it's not a real war, crushing the enemy's morale will be a huge help in gaining territory and raising your title.]
And Hyun-soo knew how to crush the enemy's morale.
[Hyun-soo: What level is Changcheon's successor?]
[Nel: 340. Unfortunately, defeating Changcheon's successor seems difficult. He's armed with all Unique artifacts right now. Even his spear is the closest thing to a Legendary.]
Hyun-soo’s current level was only 258.
A level difference of over 80.
Just then, something flashed through Hyun-soo's mind.
[Hyun-soo: I'll give it a try. I have a plan. Guild members, what are you all doing right now?]
After explaining his plan, Hyun-soo stood beside Barad.
He offered a small smile to the astonished Barad.
“I’m going in.”
[Ally morale has greatly increased.]
[Through you, the long-severed bond between Barad and the eight premier nobles of the kingdom has been reconnected.]
[A new story begins.]
*Tiring!*
[Sudden Quest: The Last Knight]
Grade: S
Restriction: The one who triggered the new episode.
Reward: Kingdom Contribution, Changcheon's Heart.
Penalty for Failure: Decrease in affinity with Barad and Changcheon.
Description: Achieve victory against Changcheon's successor and completely turn the tide of this small war.
Hyun-soo looked puzzled.
He was planning to fight Changcheon's successor anyway, so the quest notification was welcome.
But there was one thing he didn't understand.
‘Changcheon's Heart?’
For now, Hyun-soo stood facing Changcheon's successor and said:
“The last knight. Baronet Hyun-soo.”
***
The Special User Management Team.
CEO Lee Se-jin was there, along with Kim Tae-seok and Lee Ji-hee.
Tae-seok’s fingers clattered on the keyboard.
A comprehensive data analysis of Hyun-soo and Changcheon's successor appeared on the monitor.
[Changcheon's Successor: 14,100.]
[Hyun-soo: 11,711.]
This data value was similar to an NPC's level.
An NPC's level is a composite data value that combines the power of their skills, physical attack and defense, and equipped artifacts.
“He can't win.”
Kim Tae-seok said with a voice full of conviction.
This time, even Lee Ji-hee nodded in agreement.
“A difference of 2,300. Besides, Changcheon's successor is an incredibly skilled person.”
The one thing this data didn't show was skill.
The problem was that Hyun-soo's swordsmanship and combat skills were only slightly above average.
Changcheon's successor, however, was the finest spearman, handpicked by Changcheon himself.
Yes, the data clearly indicated it.
Hyun-soo would lose.
“There doesn't seem to be a viable way.”
God's Emergency Production.
Hyun-soo possessed that special power. Besides that, he also had the power of Counter.
The problem was that both Counter and Emergency Production had casting times.
An average of seven seconds. Two seconds at the very fastest.
The issue was that in that short amount of time, Changcheon's successor could have already thrust his spear through Hyun-soo's neck with time to spare.
Lee Se-jin stroked his chin and said:
“This will be a regrettable outcome for user Hyun-soo.”
The "Changcheon's Heart" written in the rewards.
Hyun-soo didn't know it, but this was something Barad had arranged by influencing Ben through the assassin, Brok.
If he won this duel, Hyun-soo would not only gain contribution in the Goyad Kingdom but also open up the possibility of many rewards.
“The Praham Kingdom is a nation of blacksmiths, so it has a great many materials. What material do you think user Hyun-soo would need the most?”
Lee Ji-hee and Kim Tae-seok.
The two of them spoke at the same time.
“The Small World Tree.”
“The Small World Tree.”
“It seems we all had the same thought.”
Yes, the Small World Tree.
What could it be used for?
It could be used to craft bows and spear shafts.
And this Small World Tree was the finest material for creating bows and spears that users had yet to obtain.
Thus, winning Ben's heart would open up endless possibilities.
Beyond just the Small World Tree.
There was also something Lee Se-jin couldn't understand.
‘Why did a Sudden Quest appear?’
The comprehensive data they were looking at clearly stated that Hyun-soo would lose.
The gap was too wide to be closed by skill alone.
But Sudden Quests were different from normal quests.
Normal quests offered a possibility, something that could be resolved gradually over time.
Sudden Quests, however, would trigger if there was even a 1% chance of success at that very moment.
‘What could that possibility be?’
In the end, the Special User Management Team and Purum Inc. were only human.
The supercomputer Ares was constantly observing billions of users, remembering every piece of data.
Just then.
*Zzzzing—*
CEO Lee Se-jin felt a vibration from his phone.
His phone was special.
It would display messages about extraordinary events that might occur in Ares.
[The Wolf's Egg will absorb nutrient percentage through the duel between user Hyun-soo and Changcheon's successor.]
The nutrient percentage user Hyun-soo had generated so far was 31%.
Even at this level, a semi-boss-grade wolf would be born.
‘This is certainly an event that could raise the Wolf's Egg's nutrient percentage.’
The more brilliantly he won, the higher the nutrient percentage Hyun-soo would acquire.
‘If he does win, I wonder how much it will rise?’
Lee Se-jin watched the screen intently.
***
Changcheon's successor, Prak, frowned at the man who had introduced himself as Baronet Hyun-soo.
He glanced aside and saw Changcheon mouth the words.
‘It's the blacksmith, Hyeon.’
From his name and the stories, Changcheon also realized he was the protagonist of the rumors.
He recalled the spear he had received as a gift from Changcheon.
(Spear of Ouroboros)
Grade: Unique
Durability: 7,000/7,000
Attack Power: 451
Restriction: Level 300~450, Spearman
Special Abilities:
·Spear Attack Power +23%.
·Spear Mastery +5 Levels.
·Passive Skill: Snake That Fears Nothing.
·Passive Skill: Serpent's Spear.
·Active Skill: Serpent Explosion.
·Active Skill: Serpent Festival.
·Imbued with the Ouroboros Ego.
·Visual effect of a snake appearing.
Description: The masterpiece of a brilliant blacksmith from the Praham Kingdom, it is the closest thing to a Legendary. When it doesn't meet its match, it can even exert the power of a true Legendary.
The spear bestowed upon him by the king was magnificent.
‘He dares to challenge me, the wielder of such a spear?’
To him, who possessed this incredible spear?
In that moment, Prak had no doubt that he had become invincible.
And then the man named Hyeon spoke.
“You're wearing some pretty amazing things.”
Prak misunderstood.
He thought Hyun-soo was mocking him for trying to win through the power of artifacts.
Prak said in a loud voice:
“An artifact is also the strength of its nation, and if a knight possesses it, is it not his strength as well! How can you say such a thing just because I wear a fine artifact!?”
A ripple of derisive laughter spread through the Praham Kingdom's ranks.
And even the Goyad Kingdom's ranks agreed with him.
Having refuted his opponent's words, Prak looked at his spear with an affectionate gaze.
*Chiiii—*
The image of a snake flicking its tongue appeared and then vanished.
The Ouroboros fledgling imbued in this spear was special.
It never trembled in fear, even when facing a similar opponent.
Furthermore, as long as it didn't encounter a superior artifact, its passive skill, 'Snake That Fears Nothing,' allowed it to become infinitely stronger, even exhibiting Legendary-grade power.
And right now, the snake.
[The Spear of Ouroboros cannot find a worthy opponent and reveals its ferocity.]
[It exhibits greater power than usual.]
It displayed its usual arrogance.
Slowly, a soldier's hand was raised to the sky.
And Prak's mocking expression, which had been fixed on Hyun-soo, hardened.
“Hooooo…”
It was because an immense pressure began to radiate from the swordsmanship stance he took.
***
[Changcheon's Successor, Prak Lv. 340]
Hyun-soo steadied his breathing.
He knew it as well.
The difference between himself and Changcheon's successor, Prak, was clear.
But he recalled what Sword King Barad had taught him.
‘Create a breakthrough, no matter the situation.’
That breakthrough, a plan only he knew, was already in motion.
The heat haze rising from the activation of the Sword King's swordsmanship momentarily dominated the battlefield.
The moment the soldier lowered his raised hand, the duel began.
*KWAAAAANG—!*
Prak's spear and Hyun-soo's sword strike clashed fiercely.
*Chiiii—!*
As Hyun-soo blocked the spear, a snake suddenly emerged from the shaft and bit him.
*KWAK—!*
[HP drops below 94%.]
But he wasn't just taking hits.
Just as Barad had taught him.
And just as Hyun-soo had grown.
“Serpent Festival.”
“Sword's Cry.”
After a relentless exchange of blows, they both retreated and simultaneously unleashed their skills.
Serpent Festival was a power where hundreds of snakes moved like spears.
*Kukwakwakwakwak—!*
Hyun-soo was endlessly pierced.
But Hyun-soo was not the only one.
Changcheon's successor also took massive damage.
[HP drops below 60%.]
[HP of Changcheon's successor drops below 80%.]
But the difference in power between Hyun-soo and Changcheon was clear.
‘Even if we attack the same number of times…’
Hyun-soo's HP had dropped far more, and Changcheon's successor simply had more skills that unleashed overwhelming power.
And there was a power that Sword's Cry had but Serpent Festival did not.
[All senses of those identified as enemies within a 20m radius are paralyzed for 3 seconds.]
Prak made a swift judgment.
‘It's over.’
The man named Hyeon must have intended to use this three-second paralysis.
He must have planned to pour all his strength into a single point of attack for three seconds.
But Prak unleashed the most powerful ability imbued in the Spear of Ouroboros.
It was none other than Serpent Explosion.
*Chiiii—*
Dozens of snakes scattered from his spear, and at the same moment, Prak was paralyzed.
The snakes would explode upon contact with an enemy.
The first snake that lunged forward exploded.
*KWAAAAANG—!*
A storm of blood and a thick cloud of dust filled the successor's vision.
Watching the snakes slither into the dust, Changcheon's successor anticipated the series of explosions that would follow, only to be met with a puzzled expression.
‘A falcon? Why is a falcon suddenly flying in?’
Two falcons flew into the dust cloud.
Soon, a shocking notification sounded.
[The Spear of Ouroboros confronts a Legendary.]
[The spear is afraid.]
The spear he held.
The spear that reacted to his opponent's artifacts was feeling fear.
But then something even stranger happened.
The snakes that had been slithering into the dust suddenly began to freeze.
*Jjeojeojeojeojeok—*
What was even more baffling was this.
[Extreme fear paralyzes the spear's functions.]
[The Spear of Ouroboros temporarily drops to Unique or lower.]
[The Spear of Ouroboros temporarily drops to Epic or lower...]
[The Spear of Ouroboros temporarily drops to Rare or lower...]
[The Spear of Ouroboros refuses to fight him!]
“Uh…?”
The image of himself shouting at Hyun-soo flashed through Prak's mind.
‘An artifact is also the strength of its nation, and if a knight possesses it, is it not his strength as well! How can you say such a thing just because I wear a fine artifact!?’
Soon, Hyun-soo emerged through the dust cloud, and upon seeing the artifact he held, Prak stumbled backward.
***
Inside the dust cloud, Hyun-soo heard the notifications.
[A gift sent by Risel has arrived.]
[A gift sent by Bakeu has arrived.]
In his right hand, the Smelting Sword.
In his left hand, Aegis.
Wearing one Legendary and a shield that was the closest thing to another, Hyun-soo walked out through the dust.
[Ouroboros hides deep within the spear.]
Prak, flustered, shouted.
“Come out! I said, come out!”
Ouroboros, the snake more powerful than any other in the world.
Prak couldn't understand why it had run away.
At that moment, Hyun-soo, aiming the Smelting Sword at Prak, sneered.
“No serpent can show its cunning before a dragon.”