Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Unforeseen Rewards
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The object simply vanished into thin air. Much like the previous incident involving the crow, the item had disappeared right before his eyes, leaving behind a lingering sense of void. However, as the particles settled, Luke realized there was one critical difference in the outcome this time around, and a notification began to flicker into existence within his field of vision.
Luke stared at the message with a deeply conflicted expression, as this was a result he had never encountered before in his quest to reclaim his legacy. He found himself questioning whether he should actually be happy about such a development, or if this was merely a distraction from his primary goals.
'An increase in Strength?' he mused silently. He hadn't gained a new skill, nor had he unlocked a unique ability within an existing item. Instead, he had received a direct boost to his base statistics. While he had been jumping between various auction houses across the southern regions to gather these artifacts for the purpose of a general power-up, he realized his plan had shifted into unpredictable territory.
What he had originally desired were versatile new skills or powerful items that could be utilized immediately in combat. Now, a third possibility had been added to the reward pool, turning the entire process into something that felt disturbingly like a high-stakes game of chance. He wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead, realizing that the potential rewards from the Night King's items were now split between skills, items, or stats—and he could only secure one of the three with each artifact.
'This is starting to feel like a gacha game, but at least modern gambling apps have the decency to disclose the drop probabilities,' Luke thought with a grimace. The lack of transparency was unsettling, and he feared that if even more reward categories were added, his chances of getting exactly what he needed would plummet to the absolute worst levels.
"No, there is no way the system would be that cruel," he muttered to himself, though his hands had been trembling with a nervous energy since the notification appeared. He felt a deep sense of unease, knowing all too well that every time he dismissed a worry with a "no way," his worst fears tended to manifest into reality—just as they had with the Ten Emperors and the chaos of Agas Land.
Looking for some form of reassurance, he turned to Poko, who was lounging comfortably beside him. "Poko, things won't get any worse than this, right? Please tell me I'm overthinking it."
The small creature looked up and let out a series of cheerful chirps, raising one hand high into the air as if offering a confident "no." Luke didn't exactly understand the logic behind the gesture, but it was enough to ease his rising anxiety. He took a deep breath to steady his fingers and reached into his inventory once more.
He drew out a weathered scabbard, the third of the Night King's items he had managed to secure.
Luke’s heart pounded wildly against his ribs as he watched the dark energy begin to swirl. He clasped his hands together in a desperate, silent prayer, hoping for a skill or a high-level item. He waited as the aura seeped into his physical form, and finally, a delayed alert chimed in his ears. He slowly opened his eyes to see the faint text growing clearer against the darkness.
It wasn't a stat increase, but it wasn't a new skill or item either. Luke felt his eyes roll back in pure frustration as a fourth possibility revealed itself. "What on earth is this nonsense?!" he shouted into the quiet room.
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After taking a few moments to compose himself and curse the luck-based nature of the game, Luke checked the specifics of the reward. It appeared that only a single job skill had been affected, and he let out a heavy sigh of relief when he saw which one it was.
Steal
Type: Active Skill
Level: 2
Proficiency: 99.13%
The proficiency of his Steal skill had reached the absolute brink of leveling up. While it wouldn't offer him any immediate help in a direct combat scenario, it was a small mercy nonetheless. He pulled the Night King’s ring—the artifact he had reclaimed from the Ten Emperors—out of his pocket and looked at it with a hollow gaze.
The ring had grown slightly darker as he infused it with the aura he had gathered, but it was still only a third of the way toward restoration. He turned his attention to the final remaining item: an expensive necklace embedded with a polished black gem. This was the most costly piece he had purchased at the auction, and it represented his final hope for a significant breakthrough.
"I cannot afford to risk this on my own luck," Luke said, placing Poko on his lap. "Poko, I need you to lend me whatever fortune you have!" The creature chirped and raised its hand again, signaled that Luke should leave the outcome to him.
Luke reached into his inventory, and the moment his fingers brushed against the black gem, a thick, dark smoke began to rise. The Night King's aura was more potent than any of the previous items, permeating his entire body with a heavy, cold sensation. Luke called out the developer’s name in his mind, pleading for a favorable result.
His vision suddenly plunged into total darkness as the memory recall sequence initiated.
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Meanwhile, at the easternmost edge of the Agas continent, a carriage came to a halt near the outskirts of a dense forest that saw almost no human traffic. The coachman, who had only agreed to the journey because of a double-pay offer, looked back at his hooded passenger with a look of pure curiosity.
"We have arrived, but I must ask, what business could an adventurer possibly have in a place so remote and desolate?"
The adventurer stood up, offering a slight, mysterious smile. "I received a message from a very close friend," he replied, waving a hand as he disappeared into the thick underbrush. The coachman watched him go, wondering what kind of person would choose such a wasteland for a meeting.
Deep within the forest, the adventurer found a scene of absolute devastation. The underbrush had been swept away, the ground was gouged with deep craters, and ancient trees had been cleanly sliced in half as if a giant blade had passed through them. The land looked as though it had been the site of a cataclysmic brawl between monsters.
The adventurer, known to the world as the Black Flame Dragon, pressed onward until he reached a pristine lake at the heart of the ruins. There, he came face-to-face with a man possessing deep blue eyes and armor that seemed to overflow with a celestial blue aura.
"You arrived faster than I anticipated," Ryud noted calmly.
"Who was it? Who did you fight to cause this level of destruction?" Black Flame Dragon asked, looking back at the razed forest.
"The Ranker Hunter," Ryud replied, causing his friend's eyes to tremble with shock. The name Gu Hwi—the one-shot killer who had been rampaging through the rankings—was known to all, but to hear him mentioned by one of the Apex players in the top 30 was a different matter entirely.
"What was the result of the duel?"
"He managed to escape," Ryud said, his brow furrowing. "But I was forced to use Arondite."
Black Flame Dragon’s head whipped around in pure disbelief. "...Wait, you were forced to utilize your Authority against him?"