Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Off to Steal Again Today
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[Braincleaver effect activates!]
[Lightning damage!]
[The blade severs the cervical vertebrae!]
[Vital spot hit!]
[Critical!]
I'd known it from the start.
The Hunter's Flag.
The moment its effect wore off.
That's why I'd timed it perfectly, shaking German's spirit with words from the past until that exact second.
So I could unleash Muksal right when the flag vanished.
And slice horizontally with the thrust to sever his neck clean off.
'Even if he has resistance to elemental damage, that doesn't mean Braincleaver's lightning won't work at all.'
Plus, the vital spot hit triggered a critical on top of that.
With all the damage I'd piled up so far, no Ten Emperor—no matter how tough—could tank that with just a skeletal frame.
'Good thing I grabbed that flag beforehand.'
I'd bought it as insurance against surprise bosses, and here it was paying off big time.
Three level-ups in total.
At the same time, items dropped near the pile of bones from German's severed head.
'Blink Ring!'
Among them was the Blink Ring German had been wearing.
"Well, if you can't get the pheasant, take the chicken. No hidden scenario? Fine, I'll settle for this..."
-Rooooar!
"Huh?"
Just as I reached for the ring.
A familiar voice boomed from behind.
-Don't touch my possession with your filthy hands!
It was German, left with just his head dangling.
His soul must still be clinging on—faint red eyes glaring at Luke.
But that didn't last.
"Poko?"
-Y-You bastard!
"Pokopoko!"
Roll roll!
The moment combat ended, Poko charged in, and the head was soon tumbling across the floor in his grasp.
-S-Stop that, you worthless pest!
"Poko!"
-Hey, ignore my words...? Gaaah!
"Pokopoko!"
-W-Wai... Urk!
The Ten Emperor was in shambles.
"Tsk tsk. All talk."
Luke wrapped bandages tightly around his body while picking up the rest of the drops.
10 gold coins.
A blue bone fragment.
Misc junk.
Nothing great aside from the Blink Ring.
Plus, the hidden dungeon's clear condition wasn't met.
Factoring in the botched hidden scenario, this was a massive loss.
'Of all places, a Ten Emperor pops up here...'
I got the Blink Ring as a consolation, but it still felt unsatisfying.
"Ah, that guy's fault everything went to hell."
-Groooargh!
"Poko, roll him harder. Make sure he can't even think straight."
Venting like that, I picked up the ring last.
-N-No! My soul's vessel, purified over centuries...!
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the ring's gem flashed and turned black.
An unexpected prompt popped up.
Luke's gaze shifted to German.
"You just called it your soul's vessel, right?"
-...!
The demon grinned wickedly.
A moment later.
"Man, thinking of transferring your soul into the ring. You're really attached to life, huh."
-...
"I wonder what happens if I smash your noggin like this?"
-T-That...!
"Hahaha, kidding! Just joking!"
Luke sat on German's head, chuckling innocently.
"Anyway, your soul would just dissipate, right? Oh, but with no successor here, do you even need to stick around?"
-Roooar, are you threatening me?!
"Nah, not really."
-Who the hell are you? The Night King I knew wouldn't pull this crap. I fell for old memories for a second, but you're just a fake peddling his name... Wait, could it be?!
"What?"
-Not the Night King, but someone who knows the past. Hard to believe, but if anyone's left from back then, it's only the Night Clan.
His red eyes gleamed.
-You're one of the Night King's subordinates! I thought I wiped you all out... How are you still alive?!
He was going off on his own tangent.
'What a pain.'
Not that it was incomprehensible.
The Night King being alive was absurd enough, let alone escaping prison and reaching here.
'Guess he wants to believe that much.'
Otherwise, the confusion would shatter his mind.
But that was perfect for intimidation.
"Whatever, you don't need to know. Now, what to do with you."
-...
"No successor."
-...
"Ring taken."
-...
"Just a lone skull left."
Thump thump!
I tapped his cranium like a watermelon a few times.
"Ah, what to do. Should I just crush your skull here and wipe your soul out?"
He'd built this tomb so meticulously, probably waiting eagerly for a successor.
But now, my intrusion meant his soul would dissipate.
Even with a ring prepped for soul transfer.
'Really attached to life.'
Proof: he'd screamed bloody murder when I grabbed the ring.
"Tch, but I'm not that into revenge, Night King or whatever."
-...?
"I only came here 'cause the ring looked good."
So I laid the bait little by little.
"Come to think of it, you said this was the first tomb, right? Bet the others have even better stuff."
-Urk, you think I'd believe a Night King's lackey like you?
"Nah, wasn't saying it for you. Just thinking out loud—"
-...Damn it.
A wraith with no options anyway.
Someone so attached to life would hate vanishing like this.
'Desperate ones always bow eventually.'
Like fools charging into obvious traps.
Clinging to that sliver of hope.
-What do you want?
Just like that.
I grinned.
Sharp as a Ten Emperor.
Seemed he didn't want to fade either.
-The locations of the other tombs?
-Or info on the treasures there?
-No, info on the other Ten Emperors?
It spilled out.
Even ready to betray his own, mentioning the others casually.
'Best he can hope for is lingering as a soul.'
Yet he clung desperately.
That meant tons of regrets left on this continent.
Luke wouldn't miss the chance.
"Hand over everything."
-W-What?!
"What, don't wanna live?"
-But...!
"Ah, this guy. Tried to be civil, but you won't listen. Guess I'll just jet-kick your temple?"
-Grrrgh!
After a few fake kicks.
He finally surrendered.
-...Promise first. You won't dissipate my soul.
"Of course, dear Gogh!"
Beaming smile.
Through that, Luke extracted various intel from German's mouth.
First, each Ten Emperor had multiple tombs across the continent.
German's alone: at least five.
"What? You don't know all the tombs?"
-Descendants made the rest; I only know two I can tell you about.
Only two locations, but the treasures inside? Mouthwatering.
'Damn tempting.'
Names alone made me drool.
And the other Ten Emperors mentioned later? Priceless info.
Ten powerhouses.
Experts in their fields, transcending human limits.
Couldn't pinpoint their tombs, but names, classes, main weapons—detailed breakdown.
'Other Ten Emperors waiting for successors somewhere too, huh?'
Like the Night King, serving a life sentence.
'Can't trust 100%, but take half as truth.'
If real, hugely useful.
-That's all I know. Nothing more.
"Hmm, any guarantee it's true?"
-Damn it, you've asked that dozens of times!
"Too many liars around. Fine, one last thing."
-Grr, shameless bastard!
"Super simple, don't worry."
-F-Fine, what?!
I'd gotten everything worthwhile.
Time for the original goal.
Luke recalled it and spoke slowly.
"You lost to me, right?"
-What kind of...?
"Just answer. Lost or not?"
-...Childish.
"Oh? No answer?"
German clamped his mouth, incredulous.
But as Luke clenched his fist, he blurted out.
-I-I lost!
"What?"
-Urk, I lost to you! Lost!
"Then acknowledge me, or not?"
-Damn, to the end!
"Acknowledge or not?!"
Luke yelled.
German snapped back, pissed.
-I acknowledge you! I acknowledge your strength!
Proving worth was the condition.
Achieving it cleared the dungeon.
Via extortion, no less.
'If he won't acknowledge, force it out of him.'
No mention of "hunter" in the condition anyway.
Any acknowledgment counted.
Grinning contentedly, Luke headed for the treasure chest.
But then.
-Keep your promise, Night Clan!
German halted him.
-Hurry and give me that ring. Just place it in front of my head!
"What?"
-Urk, the purified Night King's ring—hand it over. You opened the exit, so my vessel's breaking faster.
"Oh, that?"
-Yes! Quick, so I can transfer my soul!
Dungeon clear's effect, maybe.
Even the skeletal body housing his soul was crumbling.
"So, you want this ring?"
-Yes, with just the ring...
"Nah, don't wanna."
-What?!
What nonsense is this?
German stared blankly at the smirking Luke.
"Your promise, you know."
-You won't dissipate my soul...
"Yeah, that. You begged me not to. And I haven't."
-What do you...
"So..."
Luke curled his lip and nailed it shut.
"I never promised to give you the ring."
Exactly.
The deal was only not dissipating his soul.
Nothing about the ring.
Realizing too late, German glared with vicious eyes.
-You bastaaaaard, you tricked me!
"Didn't. Never happened."
-Gaaaah, I'll kill you! You punk, I'll kill you for sure!
"Bam pa ba bam bam, pa pa pa pa pa bam!"
Instead, Luke danced a mock coffin dance right in front of the skull, straight-up humiliating him.
German spewed curses in rage, but Luke tuned it out.
Blue mist rose from the cranium.
Mana leaking out as the vessel failed.
Crack!
And finally, the moment arrived.
-N-No...
A deep crack split the skull's center.
Snap!
Mana gone, the vessel shattered.
"Whoops, it's done."
Luke scratched his head at the sight.
Once hailed as the first hunter, a continental hero.
Quite the anticlimactic end for a Ten Emperor.
"Or dissipation, I guess."
"Poko."
"Whatever. Let's check the treasure chest..."
That was when it happened.
A barrage of messages scrolled before his eyes.
Just like when Legul, Parten's lord and black mage leader, died.
'The mana escaping the skull...'
And not just that.
Mana pouring from the shattered vessel.
"Poko?"
It was suddenly seeping into Poko, right by the skull.
+ [Poko's Mana rises!]
+ [Poko awakens a skill!]
Poko's unexpected growth.
And then, a line that flustered Luke even more appeared.
[Hidden scenario updated!]