Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: The Supreme Feast
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* * *
‘That idiot.’
Kang Hyun-soo was dumbfounded.
‘Even mocking the demon race has its limits.’
His plan from the start had been to team up with the Rokto Empire’s subjugation force to prevent Baron Taliman and the doppelgangers from attacking the Balhae Guild and Goryeo Guild.
But the Rokto Empire’s subjugation force had done something stupid.
After receiving reports on the approximate locations of Baron Taliman and the doppelgangers, they’d split up to search.
‘They divided their forces.’
They’d heard that the doppelganger group was disguised as a ten-man player party, so that’s probably why they did it.
‘Even if it’s the same ten, the quality is different.’
Baron Taliman, a demon noble, was there.
And the other nine were top-grade doppelgangers with combat prowess on par with named players from the Atlantis dimension.
Against an enemy that even their full force might barely defeat, they’d split up.
Before Kang Hyun-soo could even intervene, one had died, and the rest nearly got wiped out.
“You’re the Dark Knight.”
Baron Taliman eyed Kang Hyun-soo, clad head to toe in armor, his eyes gleaming.
“And if I am?”
“Your prowess is impressive. You must hold a high rank even among the Dark Knights. Thank you for showing yourself.”
“Why? Planning to kill me and impersonate me?”
At Kang Hyun-soo’s question.
“Correct.”
Baron Taliman nodded with a smile.
“Give it a try if you can.”
“Quite confident, aren’t you.”
“You’re one to talk.”
As Kang Hyun-soo and Baron Taliman exchanged words, they drew up their mana and demonic energy.
Arguing with words meant nothing anyway.
This was the Atlantis dimension, where power ruled all.
And so.
Thud!
To assert their will, they had to crush the opponent with strength.
Kwaaang!
Kang Hyun-soo and Baron Taliman clashed head-on.
‘He’s strong, as expected.’
Just one clash.
His wrist ached, and a shock like his grip was tearing apart coursed through him.
But.
‘I can handle this.’
Though the opponent was a demon baron.
The situation was different from the fight with Dragon Karas.
Kang Hyun-soo had steadily accumulated stats in the meantime.
Especially thanks to the Herculean Strength skill, his strength stat had skyrocketed.
And that wasn’t all.
He’d acquired EX-Rank items like the Sword of Gluttony, Ring of Protection, Ice King’s Necklace, Dragon Armor, Nightmare Ring, Ring of Vitality, and Goddess’s Tear.
And EX-Rank skills from numerous achievements, like Beastification, Book of Immortality, and Shadow of the Moon.
Crack, crack!
Kang Hyun-soo’s body swelled, and the Dragon Armor shifted form accordingly.
“Beastification? So you are from the beastkin race?”
The Dark Knight had first made a name in the beastkin nation of Mulan Kingdom.
Thus, many speculated that the Dark Knight’s base was in Mulan Kingdom.
“Is that really important?”
With those words.
Whoosh!
Kang Hyun-soo’s body melted away into thin air like snow in the sky.
Swoosh!
He reappeared behind Baron Taliman and struck.
Pang!
Baron Taliman twisted his body swiftly, blocking Kang Hyun-soo’s attack.
“Playing amusing tricks. Think that’ll save your life?”
“Might just do.”
“It might for now. But that skill won’t protect the other humans. Kill them all.”
“Yes!”
Baron Taliman ordered his subordinate doppelgangers.
The doppelgangers charged at the Rokto Empire’s subjugation force party.
In response, Kang Hyun-soo.
“Kill the doppelgangers.”
Issued commands to his summons.
“Chung!”
With short replies, the summons—composed of battalion and company commanders—rushed at the doppelgangers.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwaaang!
Kang Hyun-soo and Baron Taliman clashed head-on.
The summons and doppelgangers engaged in fierce combat as well.
“That’s the Dark Knight?”
“He’s insanely strong!”
“At that level, a divine title wouldn’t be out of place.”
“What are you spacing out for? Join the fight!”
The Rokto Empire’s subjugation force fired a support request flare and joined the battle.
However, they merely inserted themselves into the clash between summons and doppelgangers.
They couldn’t even approach Kang Hyun-soo and Baron Taliman’s fight.
Because.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
Kang Hyun-soo, enveloped in blood-red aura.
Pajijijik!
Baron Taliman, wrapped in pitch-black demonic energy.
Their clash was.
‘Beyond what we can interfere in.’
‘Even getting caught in the fragments of aura or demonic energy bursting mid-fight would kill us.’
Beyond the heavens.
Even the Rokto Empire’s subjugation force, made of high-level and ranker players, couldn’t dare approach.
Kang Hyun-soo was locked in an even, intense battle with Baron Taliman.
‘Damn it!’
Baron Taliman was considerably rattled right now.
‘Is the Dark Knight really this strong?’
Though Dragon Karas the baron had died at the Dark Knight’s hands.
He’d thought it was mere profiteering.
The Rokto Empire’s subjugation force attacking Dragon Karas had included the Dark Knight.
‘But it was just a dozen or so.’
Essentially, Dragon Karas had fought the Rokto Empire’s subjugation force with his life on the line.
‘And he won in the end.’
The Rokto Empire had panicked at their near annihilation, and the citizens and guards of the great city Baran had prepared to evacuate.
In that situation.
‘Rumors spread of witnessing the Dark Knight delivering the final blow to Dragon Karas.’
And those rumors proved true.
Naturally, from Baron Taliman’s perspective.
He could only assume the Dark Knight had used the Rokto Empire’s subjugation force as bait to weaken Dragon Karas to the brink and then profited.
But.
‘That wasn’t it.’
He needed to seriously revise that thought now.
The Dark Knight fighting him.
‘Is nearly my equal.’
No, in raw strength, he even surpassed him.
On top of that.
The other Dark Knights were strong enough to unilaterally overwhelm top-grade doppelgangers.
At this level?
‘It’s possible he killed Dragon Karas through skill, not luck.’
Baron Taliman’s insides burned.
‘I was arrogant.’
He’d thought he’d highly rated the Dark Knight’s potential.
But ultimately, he’d underestimated him as someone he could handle personally.
The result.
‘This is dangerous.’
His top-grade doppelgangers were on the verge of annihilation.
And.
Thud thud thud!
Powerful mana signatures were approaching rapidly from afar.
Their identities: the scattered Rokto Empire subjugation force, and the elite players of the Balhae Guild and Goryeo Guild, masters of this hunting ground.
Sword Slaughter Sovereign, Crimson Flame Emperor, Ice Queen, Flame Witch, Saint of Purification, Sword King, Benevolent Righteous King, Song Ha-na, Fist Emperor.
Nine beings with top named player-level mana alone.
Add in the other named and ranker players?
Over two hundred in total.
‘Damn it.’
Even matching one Dark Knight was a struggle.
If those joined in this situation?
‘Dead.’
Sweat soaked Baron Taliman’s back.
He’d led his subordinate doppelgangers as the vanguard into the Atlantis dimension.
But Baron Taliman had never once considered the possibility of his own death.
He’d seen it as a golden opportunity for advancement through mass slaughter.
Why?
Because he was different from Dragon Karas, who rampaged on brute strength alone.
The arrogant dragon, born with a silver spoon, granted a barony the moment he became an adult dragon, had lost in a frontal clash with humans.
But he, born a lowly doppelganger demon, had seized a demon barony through his own power, knew how to use his head.
Unlike dragonkin, he could perfectly disguise as an Atlantis human.
Yet all those advantages.
Crumpled before the existence known as the Dark Knight.
And he himself.
‘Underestimated humans too much.’
No matter how skilled the Dark Knight, he’d thought him beneath him.
And.
He’d trusted the humans contracted with demons too much.
“Grk!”
Baron Taliman ground his teeth.
‘First, escape this place.’
Only by surviving could he plan for the future.
And exact revenge.
‘I can’t die pointlessly here.’
Thud!
Baron Taliman turned and chose flight.
But as expected.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Kang Hyun-soo wouldn’t allow it.
Kwa-kwa-kwa!
Kang Hyun-soo’s sword, cloaked in blood-red aura, flew toward Baron Taliman’s back.
At that moment.
Baron Taliman’s left arm and part of his upper body detached, transforming into a dragon turtle form.
Kwaaang!
The dragon turtle-formed body part blocked Kang Hyun-soo’s attack.
It then shifted to kraken form and lunged at Kang Hyun-soo.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
Each time Kang Hyun-soo attacked, kraken tentacles were severed.
But fortunately, it bought some time.
Swoosh!
In that interval, Baron Taliman transformed into a raptorial bird monster and soared into the sky, fleeing the battlefield.
‘He really pulls out all the stops.’
Kang Hyun-soo was dumbfounded.
‘Not like he’s a lizard or anything.’
Like a lizard dropping its tail to escape, he’d sacrificed part of his body as bait and fled.
‘I thought doppelgangers could only transform into humanoid or terrestrial monsters, but apparently not.’
At demon noble level, they could even turn into flying monsters.
Truth be told, he wanted to pursue and finish him off.
‘But not with my group.’
In truth, fighting Baron Taliman on even terms until now wasn’t pure skill on Kang Hyun-soo’s part.
‘It was gear carry.’
Especially the massive aid from the Goddess’s Tear, a great demon weapon.
But even that gear carry was nearing its end.
‘The defensive skills in the Ring of Protection and Ice King’s Necklace are all depleted.’
On top of that, his stamina and mana were nearly bottomed out.
The Sword of Gluttony, Vampiric Aura, Goddess’s Tear, and Mana Heart constantly restored stamina and mana.
‘But consumption outpaced recovery.’
As expected of a demon noble’s combat prowess.
‘If only I could use Herculean Strength more aggressively.’
It had helped greatly, but the drawback was stamina draining too fast.
Strength, agility, stamina, mana, mental power.
These five stats needed balance.
Especially strength.
‘Too much strength, and the body can’t handle it.’
He’d once dumped all unallocated stats into strength for the Legion Composition skill.
‘Nearly burst apart.’
No matter how strong, the body had to endure it.
To reinforce the body?
Pump stamina stats.
Moreover.
‘High strength means attacks consume too much stamina.’
Higher strength?
Naturally, higher attack power.
But.
Expending that attack power consumed more stamina too.
Like a 12-cylinder high-output engine guzzling fuel like mad.
‘To get stronger, balance is key.’
Especially bolstering stamina more.
Short battles like this were fine.
But prolonged fights?
The body wouldn’t hold.
‘I need to invest more heavily in stamina stats.’
Only then could he handle the strength boosted by Herculean Strength.
But naturally, agility, mana, and mental power were crucial too.
Just high strength and stamina?
He’d be toyed with by agility-focused assassin players.
Low mana and mental?
Magic players would treat him like a juicy punching bag.
‘Stats are never enough, no matter how many.’
Coldly assessing Kang Hyun-soo, who’d maxed strength with Herculean Strength and dumped the rest into stamina to endure it?
He was at the level of Emperor, Saint, Emperor, Sovereign title holders.
‘Against warrior or tank named players, I’d have the edge.’
But against assassins or mages?
‘I’d be at a disadvantage.’
If facing assassin or mage types?
Better to minimize strength from Herculean Strength and pump agility, mana, mental more.
‘Baron Taliman was warrior-type.’
Yet they were even.
Baron Taliman wielded power to sweep hundreds of named and ranker players from the start.
Even with item and skill buffs, fighting a demon noble evenly was near-miraculous for Kang Hyun-soo.
‘But pushing further would’ve been impossible.’
If Baron Taliman hadn’t fled upon seeing the Rokto Empire’s subjugation force and Kang Hyun-soo’s subordinates—Song Ha-na, Fist Emperor, Sword King, Benevolent Righteous King?
‘The plan could’ve gone awry.’
Because.
Then it would’ve been an all-out deathmatch staking lives.
‘Might’ve even had to reveal Dragon Karas.’
But it wasn’t time to reveal Dragon Karas yet.
Plus.
With Kang Hyun-soo retired.
Even mobilizing the Rokto Empire’s subjugation force, his subordinate players, and battalion commanders like Dragon Karas.
‘Hard to guarantee victory over Baron Taliman.’
Might win.
Might lose.
Even if winning.
‘Casualties would’ve been massive.’
Many in the Rokto Empire’s subjugation force and Kang Hyun-soo’s players would’ve died.
His battalion-grade summons, forged with massive stats, would’ve been largely destroyed.
‘Thanks for running.’
A bright smile bloomed on Kang Hyun-soo’s lips.
‘Now the plan can proceed.’
He’d never intended to kill Baron Taliman here.
‘If I’d worn down the subjugation force first and mobilized all summons, I might’ve finished him here.’
But from Kang Hyun-soo’s view, that was bad business.
The Rokto Empire’s subjugation force?
‘Gotta preserve them.’
They were future subordinates of Cecilia, who’d ascend as Rokto Empire’s female emperor.
Cecilia’s subordinates?
‘As good as mine.’
Song Ha-na and Fist Emperor had no forces, fine.
But Sword King’s Balhae Guild and Benevolent Righteous King’s Goryeo Guild too.
‘Practically mine.’
Summons went without saying.
Mobilize all that to take down one demon baron?
‘That’s a net loss, not gain.’
Thus, Kang Hyun-soo’s purpose here.
Was to join forces with the Rokto Empire’s subjugation force and drive off Baron Taliman.
But.
‘The subjugation force made the blunder of splitting up.’
From then, the plan derailed slightly.
Kang Hyun-soo ended up fighting Baron Taliman alone.
He immediately called in Sword King Jang Seok-won and Benevolent Righteous King Shin Chang-ho leading Balhae and Goryeo Guilds, plus Song Ha-na and Fist Emperor, whom he’d kept on standby just in case.
And perfectly timed.
‘They arrived with the Rokto Empire’s subjugation force.’
Baron Taliman panicked prematurely and fled.
‘Lucky break.’
If Baron Taliman had held out longer?
Casualties would’ve been huge.
‘Goodbye. And have a proper showdown with Yongho Guild.’
The ones who should bloody themselves against demon Baron Taliman weren’t Kang Hyun-soo’s forces.
‘It’s Yongho Guild, minions of the Demon King.’
The board was already set.
If the plan proceeded?
Baron Taliman and Yongho Guild would inevitably clash.
Their conflict would escalate to their demon backers in the demon realm.
For Kang Hyun-soo?
‘More than killing two birds with one stone—three or four.’
Whoever won between Baron Taliman and Yongho Guild.
‘They won’t emerge unscathed.’
Probably a total mess.
Then Kang Hyun-soo could step in.
‘And just grab a spoon at the ready feast and dig in.’
No worry about achievement leakage either.
From handling human hunters and slave traders.
He’d confirmed that creating inescapable death situations granted achievements, not just direct kills.