Chapter 128
Translator: uly
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: From Past to Present
From the past to the present.
The reason why so many powerhouses had avoided facing Luke was simple.
He evolved little by little with each battle.
He read and analyzed everything about his opponent, turning it all into data.
Like some cutting-edge machine.
Breathing patterns, gaze, foot positioning, minor habits. And even the various patterns that stemmed from them.
It could be seen as real-time data conversion of information to draw conclusions.
The worst kind of PK talent.
But even that ability had one major flaw.
The process of obtaining the data.
He needed time to learn by directly observing and experiencing the opponent.
That was why, starting from high rankers and above, it was impossible to read everything about them in a single battle.
Why?
The more complex the data...
The longer it took to read and analyze it.
That was why he'd clashed with enemies multiple times so far, hitting and running.
To fully absorb their data.
At first, top rankers fell to him because they didn't know about it, but not anymore.
Experience and time to gather data.
Without providing that, he couldn't do a thing.
Everyone had realized that fact.
And that wasn't all.
For the absolute top-tier experts like Geukcheon—those in the top 30 overall rankings—Luke's talent didn't work on them from the start.
Jobs, items, skills.
They were all in uncharted territory.
Before he could even try to analyze them, his life was always in danger.
So he had no choice but to fail at extracting Geukcheon's data.
There simply wasn't time.
Was he lucky, then?
No, that wasn't it either.
Everything else about him was hopelessly lacking without that talent.
That was why Luke's reach hadn't extended to Geukcheon.
Because of the fatal flaw explained above.
But now, there was no need to painfully clash with enemies multiple times to gather data.
Just once.
Just by looking, he could read everything about his opponent.
The ability to pierce through the entirety of a being's essence.
Through the Dragon Eye, precisely.
'This time, only one awakening skill...'
The second awakening ended the moment he chose the eye area.
Unfortunately, it didn't let him pick two areas like in the first awakening.
That was a shame, but the Dragon Eye alone was more than satisfying.
Look.
Those red silhouettes emerging between the goblins.
Each one showed the movement paths where the bastards would head.
"Kieeeek!"
And that wasn't all.
The lead goblin.
A red silhouette identical to it stepped forward first, swinging a club.
As if predicting what was about to happen.
It even simulated attack movements in advance through the silhouette.
Thus, he could stay one step ahead.
Predict their movements and prepare in advance.
Kang!
Exactly like this.
"Ki-ek?!"
Perfect parry.
The goblin's club was lightly deflected into the air.
It all happened in an instant.
The goblin's face was filled with clear panic.
Not knowing what to do.
But no need to worry.
Puk!
I've just solved that dilemma for it.
So sleep soundly.
Luke left the fallen goblin behind and pressed forward.
One step.
Another step.
Walking with majestic momentum, he soon faced them.
"Ki, kieeek!"
"Kiek!"
Poison puddle.
Goblins coughing from the poisonous fumes rising within it.
Some hesitated, blocked by the poison puddle.
For a moment, their movements seemed to halt.
But soon, massive goblins charged from behind them.
Champion Goblins.
A superior species innately resistant to status ailments.
Thanks to that, normal poison didn't faze them.
"Iron Mask!"
Kenny called out urgently.
His voice carried impatience.
A slight turn of the head revealed his troubled expression.
Debating other skills, perhaps.
Well, not incomprehensible.
Champion Goblins.
With their medium armor and inherently high defense, they were tough nuts.
Whether he could hold out against them.
That was the key.
But.
[Black Wolf's Fang pierces the Champion Goblin's abdomen!]
[Piercing damage!]
[Ignores opponent's defense for additional 20% fixed damage!]
All that worry was pointless.
He'd already prepared perfect countermeasures.
"Ku, kuaaa..."
"Kuaaa!"
"Ki-ek?!"
All that remained was to toy with the panicking bastards at will.
Luke twisted his body lightly while watching the goblin silhouettes filling his vision.
He predicted the next attack in advance and thrust his fang forward first.
Pusuk!
One.
Seok!
Two.
Pusyaaaak!
Then three more.
No more advancing allowed.
Just defend this area where the poison puddle held.
Cross this line, and die.
Luke's eyes brimmed with that murderous intent.
The goblins flinched at his aura, but only briefly.
Soon, goblin shamans from the rear began gathering mana.
Pajijik!
Thunder Bolt.
Magic arrows infused with lightning shot straight ahead.
Beams of light filling the sky.
But Luke didn't retreat an inch, swinging his blade.
He began deflecting the Thunder Bolts one by one in place.
Pajijik!
Electricity coursing along the blade.
As expected, he couldn't fully escape lightning damage.
But the damage itself wasn't significant.
The Icarian Cloak received as a reward from Jajak.
Thanks to its excellent resistances.
What was annoying were those Champion Goblins with axes instead.
Glowing red eyes.
Simultaneously, massive axes whipped up winds.
AoE skill.
One cast by multiple Champion Goblins at that.
Wind Axe, they called it.
A close-range technique that swung wide in all directions infused with wind energy.
Perfectly timed just as the Thunder Bolts rained down, they cast it without hesitation.
"Hey, you can't dodge that."
"......"
"Fall back, Iron Mask!"
Kenny shouted again.
Can't dodge?
What nonsense.
The skill ranges were already marked via Dragon Eye—what was there to fear?
The poison puddle was holding anyway.
So his job was to buy time up front.
No retreating.
Only advancing toward them.
Luke kicked off the ground and leaped in one breath.
Shuuuung!
Whipping winds.
Fierce gusts from all directions at once.
This way, he'd be swept away by the winds.
But Luke deliberately closed the distance head-on.
Shuung!
Through deft movements.
Shuuung!
Dodging the Wind Axes one by one.
A sight that made onlookers nervous.
Barely grazing past skill ranges by the slimmest margins.
Kenny and even the spectators watching the exam gaped in shock.
Bursting through that barrage of ranged and AoE skills to charge the enemies?
Without taking a single hit?
Unbelievable even seeing it firsthand.
Luke's movements were that precise.
But the surprise didn't end there.
Hwaruruk!
Luke's dagger.
Green flames lingering where the blade passed.
Those flames soon latched onto nearby goblins.
An utterly unexpected ability.
But some veteran players knew exactly what it was.
A sub-item known only to gamers with nearly a year under their belt.
The Afterimage Torch, mainly used to cover single-target job weaknesses.
Afterimage flames generated with a certain probability on attacks.
The damage from those flames left in the weapon's path was one-third of the weapon's damage.
And it even persisted for a duration.
An effect no single-target job could ignore.
"Kieeeee-!"
Goblins writhing in pain.
All nearby ones had afterimage flames clinging to them.
Kenny's poison fumes.
And now Luke's afterimage flames.
Double DoT damage completely.
HP plummeting fast.
Time for the finishing blows.
Pusuk!
Black blade piercing a goblin's forehead mid-pack.
But other goblins still surrounded him.
To clean them up thoroughly, he'd have to dart around busily.
That was when.
Flash!
Luke's ring emitting light.
Simultaneously, scorching heat burst from the blade embedded in the forehead.
Spreading in all directions in an instant.
Pushishik!
Pushik!
Afterimage Torch.
Followed by the second ability activation.
Another sub-item supplementing single-target jobs, just like the torch.
The Drake Ring.
'How the hell?!'
Colosseum's premium seats.
Gu Hwi, sitting there, had shot to his feet.
Afterimage Torch.
And now the Drake Ring too.
Sub-items unknown to low-rank players emerging in a promotion exam.
In Iron Mask's hands, no less.
Sure, he might have a high-level acquaintance.
Or learned via info sites.
These days, money could buy info easily enough.
Even so, it was astonishing.
Low-rank players knowing such things was exceedingly rare.
'And what the hell are those movements.'
Dodging like that amid a barrage of ranged skills and AoEs.
Gulp!
These weren't sparse monsters either.
The goblins numbered easily over a hundred.
Yet Iron Mask hadn't taken a single critical hit.
As if reading every enemy move perfectly.
Impossible.
No one could mimic that easily.
"......Impossible."
Asu Balkkum, beside him, muttered blankly in agreement.
"Even if his physical stats are high for his level, that's... way too ridiculous?!"
"......"
"Right? Gu Hwi, even Luke couldn't pull that off!"
He knew.
He knew full well.
That was why he clamped his mouth shut.
Denying the reality before his eyes felt wrong.
Swipe.
The other scouts were no different.
All staring down at the arena in stunned silence.
Then.
"Huh?"
One pointed a trembling hand at Iron Mask.
Gu Hwi blankly followed the gesture.
And saw it.
Kugugung!
A black hand covering the space, sweeping across the ground.