Chapter 352
Chapter 352
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 352
Chapter Title: Summer Event
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I’m not crazy.
Sure, saying it like that might make me sound like some mentally shattered wreck chanting a self-hypnotic mantra—but that’s not the case at all……
If anything, it’s the opposite.
“Damn, this is still terrifying.”
I’m not there yet.
I can’t fight unless I go just a little more insane.
[System: The memory of ‘Snake Phobia’ is gradually eroding your sanity.]
I know that already.
My limbs are trembling on their own.
Even after forcing this pumped-up vibe, it’s not easy.
Right now, I just want to turn back to that starving mansion.
Darkness.
I close my eyes for a moment.
Hoo—
A short sigh.
Light again.
“Haa…… This is gonna drive me nuts, seriously.”
A blazing red sun overhead.
The desert sizzling as it reflects the sun’s heat and light.
A massive pyramid flaunting its overwhelming presence in the desert.
And a sailing ship racing across the sands at insane speeds toward that pyramid—pulled by a tentacle monster.
“Even seeing it again, it’s a batshit crazy sight. This is really Paju, huh?”
Yeah, if I’m gonna go mad anyway……
Kieeeeng—
I channel my magic and swing the [Silver Bell of the Underworld].
Ding—
A clear, resonant chime.
[S-grade magic artifact ‘Silver Bell of the Underworld’ unique function, ‘Dominion of Pure Silver’, activates.
// Dominion of Pure Silver: Automatically casts ‘Voice of Authority’ on the designated target and increases the effect of all ‘mental’ spells by 100%.]
An artifact imbued with the power to dominate a target’s mind and manipulate their thoughts and actions.
The target?
Me, obviously.
Let’s go all the way insane, just once.
[Euphoria]
[Lion’s Courage]
[Maniac’s Laughter]
[Dionysus’s Blessing]
[Spell Enhancement: Maximized]
“Aha— uhuhu— this— kuhuhu— I like it.”
Laughter spills from my lips unbidden.
Dopamine and adrenaline surge in an instant. Euphoria like I’m soaring into the sky. Overflowing ecstasy. Every color around me sharpens to vivid extremes in a bizarre sensation.
A false sense of omnipotence, like I could do anything.
In a way, this is just an extension of escaping reality.
But without this, I—
I couldn’t approach that place where a scaly, legless beast with cold blood lurks.
But.
Thanks to getting hit with it last time, I know what the enemy can do—and what it wants to do.
And how I need to fight.
I raise my left arm, the bulky prosthetic gleaming as I grin. Instead of fingers, it’s fitted with the [Butcher’s Hook].
“Kukukuku…… I’ll show you just how tenacious and horrifying I can be!”
* * *
[System: Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ activates. The abyss’s power manifests a new object on the terrain.]
Groooar!!
The desert shakes as things hidden beneath the sand erupt upward.
Does that even make sense?
An insane number. Massive scale.
Obelisks at least 10 meters tall, and that many of them were buried?
“They’ve grown way bigger than last time! Looking great!”
At the same time, the giant scorpions and crocodiles swimming under the sand retreat behind the obelisks.
Suspicious movements?
Ziiiiing!
Purple beams fire from the obelisks.
“Oh, I know what that is. Baby! Hard left!!”
“Going!” “Left!” “This way?” “Left!” “Going!” “This way!” “This way!” “Going!” “Left!” “Left!”
Dozens of mouths chattering nonstop from the [Children of Darkness].
Ggggrrrrk!
The ship’s hull shudders as it veers.
It’d be nice if it could strafe, but don’t expect that from a tentacle-powered sailing ship.
The moment the ship barely changes course—
Pzzzzzt! Crackle!
A massive barrage of lightning pours toward the purple beam’s path.
Kwarrrumble! Boooom!!
“Ooh, that’d kill you if it hit.”
It’s that player-friendly gimmick you see in games all the time.
It shows the path to dodge, then seconds later, the lethal attack comes.
In games, you just roll with it, but why attack like that?
[System: Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ activates. The abyss’s power strengthens the obelisks.]
Ziiiiing! Ziiiiing! Ziiiiing!
“Aha, ‘dodge if you can,’ huh?”
The beams from the obelisks form a dense grid, blanketing the entire desert.
On foot, maybe I could dodge, but riding this ship? No way.
But I said it, didn’t I?
I came here today for a straight-up slugfest!
“All cannons, fire!”
Kiriirik! Clank!
At my command, the necromancy golems scurry across the deck, priming attacks.
Kurrrrumble!
Last night, I used the [Ancient One’s Blueprint] to craft new artifacts.
Nothing fancy—just ten times the size of the weapons I supplied to the salt merchants, with ten times the firepower. Let’s call them [Mana Stone Cannons], straightforward enough?
Fifteen on each side, thirty total.
“Fire in sequence as they’re ready!”
Kwaaaaang!
Huge mana stones launch in all directions.
Only high-purity, high-capacity ones.
A billion won each.
Kwakwakwakwa boom!!
A massive explosion.
That blast just cost thirty billion.
“Reload! Fire from the ready cannons nonstop!”
Mana stones fly wildly, directionless.
Kwakwakwakwa boom!!
Sixty billion now. Ninety. One hundred twenty.
My bank balance crumbles alongside the obelisks.
Magical flames erupt across the desert.
I leap to the tallest mast, channeling magic, and swing the [Butcher’s Hook] in place of my left hand, unleashing mad laughter.
“Ahahaha! See that! This is the true power ruling this world! Money!”
The desert magic forcibly anchored to this land by [Scaled Schemes] churns.
“Kyahahaak!”
“Keeieiek!!”
Gigantic monsters surge from the sand.
Pincers and venom-tipped tails erupt from the dunes. Or thick green hides.
The ones that pulled back for the obelisk attack.
“Ha, going with the standard mob rush now?”
Waaarumble!
An enormous roar from the pyramid.
Wait, not mob rush?
[System: Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ effect activates. Abyss magic is released.]
Whoooosh!
Immense heat pours from the pyramid.
A low-pressure system swells like a storm.
The massive magic it gathers.
“Ha, that bastard’s pretty damn crazy too.”
Whoooosh!!
The abyss magic manifests a colossal tornado.
It sucks up insane amounts of sand—and wait.
“Kyahahaak!!”
“Kieeieiek!!”
Giant crocodiles and scorpions too?
“Sand-scor-igator-nado?”
A ridiculous combo name, but no laughing at this scale of disaster.
Kwarrrrrumble!!
A massive tornado hurtling teeth, stingers, and pincers our way.
Out of control. Where’d it pull that magic from?
Just because it’s a desert?
“Well, fine. Then I’ll go even crazier!”
I lift the [Mask of the Thousand-Gold Captain]—and draw up magic.
[L-grade accessory ‘Mask of the Thousand-Gold Captain’ unique function, ‘Goblin Frolic’, activates.
// Goblin Frolic: Temporarily borrows the abilities of the Thousand-Gold Captain (Seo Cheon-seul). Borrowed abilities vary based on relation to Thousand-Gold or Thousand-Gold Captain.]
Dung dung dung dung—
Unreal drumbeats pound the air.
My heart throbs to the jaunty rhythm. Fingers tingle hot. Ah— pumped!
If the goal was just to hit and burst—
Would I have dumped this many mana stones?!
[Soundwave Impact]
“With the Thousand-Gold Captain away, I, Kim something-or-other, shall proxy her duties! A foreign demon summoned this horrific low-pressure system! What say we do about it!”
My voice, amplified by magic, booms like thunder.
A response echoes from afar.
“By the precepts and path shown by the World-Honored One! The [Blood Demon Cult] stands ready!”
At the desert’s edge, [Blood Demon Cult] heretics plant their magnetism needles.
“Fire begets ash to nurture earth: this is fire generates earth!”
“Earth clumps to forge metal: earth generates metal.”
“Metal forms vessels to hold water: thus metal generates water!”
Yeah, that’s it!
[Scaled Schemes] summoned scorching heat (fire) to turn this into a desert (earth).
I shout to the [Blood Demon Cult].
“Yes. By my command, become the vessel to seal this spirit land!”
Ruuuuumble!!
The secret arts of yin-yang five elements aren’t the point.
The key is the desert map favors that thing, right?
And the Blood Demon Cult specializes in feng shui that affects vast terrain.
[System: Follower ‘Blood Demon Cult’ activates the cult’s unique ritual, ‘Blood Demon Formation’.]
[System: ‘Blood Demon Formation’ changes the characteristics of the area.]
This desert is terrain formed by the abyss entity’s magic.
The Blood Demon Cult can’t alter it without proper backing.
“Nice!”
But I’ve got some abyss magic too.
Not that I’m an abyss entity—just happens to have magic super compatible with their spells!
I swing the hook, shattering a tiny cube.
Remember this?
Magic, curses, and venomous rain from the [Predator of the Mountains] that ruled [Paju Three Tombs], condensed into a cube.
Purified over ages with [The Smiler]’s help, an immense amount of holy water.
It unleashes a mountain-burying burst of water vapor.
[Heavy Downpour]
[Crashing Waves]
[Raging Torrent]
Kwarrrrrumble!!
Churning waves and whirlpools. Oceans of water.
Conditions met.
I unleash large-scale terrain enchantments without pause.
[Phase Shift: Ocean]
[Weather Change: Torrential Rain]
Splaash!! Kwarumble!! Kwarrrrrumble!!!
No more desert.
Yeah, a desert in the corner of Paju? Makes no sense. Ocean, maybe.
That absurd sand-scor-igator-nado too.
If it were natural, it might’ve lasted, but it was an artificial miracle from desert and abyss power.
Cut off, it loses power and dissipates.
The scorpions and crocs plummet into the sea I made.
“Kya aaak!”
Spluuush! Splaash! Kwarumble!
I told you, didn’t I?
This is the sea!
Or freshwater, so lake? Eh, whatever!
To repeat: this is a summer event. Stick to the theme.
“Wahahaha— you dumb crocs! I’m taking the terrain bonus!”
Obelisks destroyed, desert gone.
The sea doesn’t particularly favor me—but it’ll piss off the desert-obsessed croc.
* * *
“Wet.” “Wet.” “Wet.” “Wet.” “Wet.” “Wet.” “Wet.” “Wet.” “Wet.”
Grumbling about the damp, unhappy baby.
“Yeah, I’m wet too! Get on board!”
Churrrk!
The [Children of Darkness] climb aboard.
Kwarrrrrumble!
“Kyahaha aaak!”
Even plunged into the sea, the giant scorpions and crocs press on relentlessly.
I’m getting their strategy now.
If they’re following the game script, nothing to say……
“But they’re scheming something in the pyramid, right?”
Huge attacks so far, true—but unlike me forcing all-out war, they’re stalling and attrition.
Main force pulled back, prepping something.
“No doubt using Hyun-ah for some ritual.”
Then no wasting time or resources on trash mobs.
[Soundwave Impact]
I bellow toward the ship’s rear.
“Assault team, handle the trash!”
Kwaaaaang!
Sudden explosion ahead.
Ah, they were already moving.
A massive water plume erupts as a giant croc blocking our path launches skyward.
Not a flying croc phase. Guess my connections pay off?
“Grraaawr!”
Gyu-seong Mawha, hurling the croc with ruthless [Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms], roars like a lion.
“Golden-Ringed King!! We defend!!”
His lead chant echoed unanimously by the frog monks of the Undying Flame Temple.
“The [Golden-Ringed King] who granted us new home and doctrine calls for our aid!”
“Follow Gyu-seong Mawha! Clear the path for the [Golden-Ringed King]!”
“Those who defile the land! The Undying Flame Temple shall not forgive!”
Hidden in heat-dissipating coats, they dash across the water in flashy water-striding lightness skills!
Paguugugugugu!!
Frog monks showing off their colorful, slick skins.
[System: Follower ‘Undying Flame Temple’ activates the temple’s unique technique, ‘One Hundred Eight Arhats Formation’.]
Cool.
Finally, swimsuit characters make their entrance?
Undeniably the perfect summer event.
“Alright! I’ll finish them off! Hoist the sails!”
Kiririk!
Necromancy golems performing crew duties unfurl the sails in perfect sync—and I swing the [Butcher’s Hook], channeling magic nonstop.
[S-grade weapon ‘Butcher’s Hook’ unique function, ‘Proof of Slaughter’, activates.
// Proof of Slaughter: Necromancy spells increase in power by 100%.]
[Winds of Desolation]
[Spell Enhancement: Power Boost]
Fwoooosh!
Sails embrace the necromantic wind spell, roaring as the ship surges forward.
The pyramid rushes closer in a blink!
[System: Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’……]
Shut it! My turn ain’t over!
A massive magic circle forms around the ship. Blinding radiance.
[Stirring of Power]
Ziiiiiiing!
The dragon king’s ship looted from In-su Village—
Rams the giant pyramid with a ram of pure magic.
Kwaaaaaaaaang!!