Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: The Reward for the Raid's Success
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“Commander Appointment.”
Kang Hyun-soo appointed Fist Emperor and Martial Sovereign as battalion commanders.
Thanks to that, the original battalion commanders—Flame Knight and Sword Ghost—had their appointments canceled, but it didn’t matter.
‘Putting the strongest ones in the top commander roles is the best approach.’
And it wasn’t over yet.
“Commander’s Blessing.”
Kang Hyun-soo bestowed the B-Rank Commander’s Blessing upon Fist Emperor.
“Go kill that Demon Dragon.”
At Kang Hyun-soo’s command.
“Yes, sir!”
Fist Emperor and Martial Sovereign gave resounding replies and charged at the Demon Dragon Karas.
The Commander Appointment gave a 15% boost, and the Commander’s Blessing added 20%.
‘That’s a total of 35% increase, so even if they’re not at their peak from life, they should perform decently.’
No, they had to perform.
Why?
Because that was the only way they could atone, even a little, for the sins they committed before dying.
‘Trash like them.’
Fist Emperor and Martial Sovereign.
It was true that, upon seeing their actions before regression, he’d thought death might be preferable.
But he never imagined they’d use Duke Kalmus, the Protector of Muran, as bait just to save themselves.
It was the worst choice possible.
They turned a winnable situation into certain defeat.
That decision allowed Demon Dragon Karas to grow even stronger once more.
If Kang Hyun-soo hadn’t been there?
The empowered Demon Dragon Karas would have survived unscathed.
And after recovering, it would have brought immense calamity upon all of humanity.
Fist Emperor and Martial Sovereign were players who held the supreme titles of Emperor and Sovereign among players.
Yet they fled from an enemy they could have defeated, deeming their lives too precious.
The titles of Emperor and Sovereign felt wasted on them.
‘Those who fight desperately live; those who flee desperately die.’
Was there any situation where this saying fit better?
‘Those two aren’t warriors.’
He’d felt it before regression too, but they suited the role of politicians far more than martial artists.
-Kraaaang!
Demon Dragon Karas writhed in agony.
In perfect condition?
No one could have cornered a Demon Dragon that had promoted twice so easily.
But the situation was different now.
Even though it had promoted.
Thanks to the damage inflicted by the extermination force up to that point, Demon Dragon Karas’s body was in utter ruins.
‘Everyone else ran or died, so no one’s around to see.’
Ta-thud!
Kang Hyun-soo charged toward Demon Dragon Karas.
He had no intention of just sitting back and watching his summons take it down.
He needed to join in to finish off Demon Dragon Karas as quickly as possible.
It was thanks to the anti-heal ability of his Sword of Gluttony.
And there was an additional bonus effect.
-Human! I’ll kill you!
It automatically drew Demon Dragon Karas’s aggro.
If Kang Hyun-soo pulled its aggro?
His summons could deal damage more comfortably.
-Kraaaang!
Demon Dragon Karas attacked Kang Hyun-soo with all its might.
Truthfully, Demon Dragon Karas had no other choice.
Kang Hyun-soo’s summons swarmed it like a hive of bees from all sides.
No matter how many it killed, their numbers didn’t dwindle easily due to their sheer quantity.
And if Kang Hyun-soo just summoned more to replace them?
It would all be for naught.
The basics of fighting a summoner-type enemy: take out the summoner, not the summons.
Beyond rage, for Demon Dragon Karas to win this battle and survive, it absolutely had to kill Kang Hyun-soo.
But.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
Kang Hyun-soo dodged its attacks with infuriating skill.
If a lethal strike ever seemed imminent.
Kwaaaang!
Kang Hyun-soo’s summons intercepted it instead.
What truly, utterly frustrated Demon Dragon Karas was.
Kyauung!
That the one acting as Kang Hyun-soo’s shield was its own former kin, the Dragon Turtle.
Wounds began accumulating on Demon Dragon Karas’s body, one by one.
These weren’t the shallow cuts from before.
They were fatal injuries splitting muscle and exposing bone.
Kwa-jik!
Fist Emperor’s fist shattered one of Demon Dragon Karas’s horns.
Seok-geok!
Martial Sovereign’s twin swords severed its right arm.
Kwa-jik!
Muran’s Protector and Blade King crushed and pinned both its legs.
-Krurrrung!
Demon Dragon Karas, its entire body drenched in blood, heaved ragged breaths.
Then, atop that Demon Dragon Karas’s head.
Kwa-jijik!
The Sword of Gluttony swung by Kang Hyun-soo embedded itself.
-Kyauuuuung!
With a pitiful death cry, Demon Dragon Karas.
Breathed its last.
[You have achieved the impossible feat of single-handedly defeating Demon Dragon Karas.]
[Title: Demon Dragon Karas Slayer (EX-Rank) has been granted.]
[Title: Lord of Ten Thousand (EX-Rank) has been granted.]
[Title: Peerless Supreme (EX-Rank) has been granted.]
Of course, titles and achievements appeared.
He’d expected that.
It was achievement-worthy enough.
But Kang Hyun-soo had anticipated one achievement and one title.
Instead, one achievement yielded three titles.
‘Why this much?’
There was only one reason.
The word “single-handedly” in the system message.
‘Single-handedly?’
Kang Hyun-soo had clearly hunted Demon Dragon Karas with others’ help.
Yet here it said he did it alone.
‘Because all the other players died or fled?’
That made sense.
‘But Song Ha-na and Slaughter Emperor are alive and well? They contributed to taking down Demon Dragon Karas too?’
Then it shouldn’t count as solo.
‘No way?’
Song Ha-na and Slaughter Emperor’s positions were special.
They were players, but treated as Kang Hyun-soo’s living summons.
‘They’re players, but my summons too. Did the system just count them as part of my power?’
That was likely.
‘First time seeing one achievement grant three titles.’
All EX-Rank too.
The good news was.
‘It’s giving more.’
The achievements didn’t end there.
[You have achieved the unbelievable feat of single-handedly defeating a Demon World Baron.]
[Title: Demon World Aristocrat Hunter (EX-Rank) has been granted.]
[Title: Demon World Aristocrat Devourer (SSS-Rank) has been granted.]
[Title: Demon World Aristocrat Slayer (S-Rank) has been granted.]
[Title: Demon World Aristocrat Butcher (A-Rank) has been granted.]
[You have achieved the splendid feat of single-handedly repelling the Demon King’s Army invasion.]
[Title: Shield of the Atlantis Dimension (EX-Rank) has been granted.]
[Title: Guardian of the Atlantis Dimension (SSS-Rank) has been granted.]
[Title: Protector Castle of the Atlantis Dimension (SS-Rank) has been granted.]
[Title: Guardian Deity of the Atlantis Dimension (A-Rank) has been granted.]
‘Four this time.’
Even more than before.
‘Hunter, Devourer, Slayer, Butcher.’
And on top of that.
‘Shield, Guardian, Protector Castle, Guardian Deity.’
These were.
‘Growth-type titles.’
He’d earned this much from a Demon World Baron, Demon Dragon Karas.
What if he took down a Viscount or Earl?
A Marquis or Duke?
‘Those achievements could all reach EX-Rank too.’
If so?
Hitting 1000 level stats wouldn’t be an issue.
No, exceeding 1000 level stats.
Even for Kang Hyun-soo, it was jaw-dropping.
‘I thought the max stats from achievements topped out around 400 levels.’
With current achievements alone, Kang Hyun-soo had stats rivaling an 800-level player.
‘I’ve far surpassed my pre-regression goals.’
Stats beyond 1000 levels from achievements alone?
A goal he’d deemed impossible even after regressing.
Achievements became extremely hard to obtain after the tutorial.
But now his thinking had changed.
‘If I leverage the future I know well, it’s entirely possible.’
If he could rake in massive rewards exceeding expectations like this time.
‘Not just 1000, maybe even 2000 levels.’
If that happened?
Kang Hyun-soo could become an untouchable, unparalleled existence.
‘Looks like “single-handedly” really racks up the achievements.’
Come to think of it.
‘The wording’s different too.’
Previously “astonishing,” now “impossible,” “unbelievable,” “splendid,” and such descriptors.
While Kang Hyun-soo checked his achievements.
Saaaak!
Some of the residual mana bursting from Demon Dragon Karas’s body seeped into Kang Hyun-soo, Song Ha-na, and Slaughter Emperor.
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
……(omitted)……
Levels shot up like crazy.
Most of the residual mana concentrated on Kang Hyun-soo, who had the highest contribution.
The rest clumped together, turning into items.
‘Let’s get out of here first.’
Kang Hyun-soo quickly gathered the items.
Not just those from Demon Dragon Karas’s body, but also from the dead players.
And this was the final task.
Demon Dragon Karas, one of humanity’s calamities.
‘I’ll turn you into my summon.’
Not much stats remained.
Restoring destroyed summons and turning the fallen named players and rankers from the extermination force into summons had consumed a hefty amount.
But.
‘I saved enough to make you one.’
Plus, levels had skyrocketed from hunting Demon Dragon Karas, leaving plenty of stat leeway.
“Brigade Formation.”
The moment Kang Hyun-soo activated the skill.
Saaaaak!
Vast mana writhed at the spot where Demon Dragon Karas died.
Uduk! Uduk!
It began reshaping into a massive Demon Dragon form.
Dark blue mana coalesced into a torso and head.
Six pairs of dark blue wings unfurled from its back.
Six horns sprouted atop its head.
Sharp-clawed arms and legs, plus a massive tail, revealed themselves.
-Krurrrr!
The fully revived Demon Dragon Karas growled lowly.
Along with that.
[One-Man Battalion - B-Rank has grown into One-Man Brigade - A-Rank.]
His class, One-Man Battalion, evolved into One-Man Brigade.
‘Insane.’
The max number of summons jumped from 2,000 to 5,000.
Appointable battalion commanders increased threefold from three to nine.
Numerous additional class skills were added too.
‘Later for those.’
What he’d gained from Demon Dragon Karas and from job change—he could check later.
Priority was leaving this place ASAP.
“Dismiss Summons.”
Kang Hyun-soo dismissed his summons, then.
“Let’s go.”
Led Song Ha-na and Slaughter Emperor away from the battlefield.
* * *
Demon Dragon raid failure.
All raid participants deceased.
When the news spread, the Muran Kingdom erupted in chaos.
Commoners near the great city Baran packed their belongings one after another and fled.
Nations bordering Muran Kingdom entered full emergency alert.
The Rokto Empire, having lost its Emperor- and Sovereign-titled players at once, turned into a complete house of mourning.
Amid all this.
A few rumors circulated.
-The Demon Dragon’s dead! I saw it!
-Me too!
-The Dark Knights appeared out of nowhere and took it down!
-They vanished into thin air right after hunting the Demon Dragon!
Each nation’s government dismissed the rumors as nonsense.
They had reports on the Dark Knights’ existence.
But they were merely a secret group reliant on players with the special skill Future Foresight.
Exceptional in combat, sure.
But only exceptional for a minor secret organization.
From a national perspective, even at best, they were strong-guild level.
Such a secret group hunting a Demon Dragon that wiped out all raid participants from Rokto Empire and its vassal states?
Unbelievable to any government.
All empires and kingdoms of Atlantis controlled high-level hunting grounds at the national level.
Thus, all high-level players were under government oversight.
A few rogue powerhouses slipping control was possible.
But multiple ones strong enough for a Demon Dragon? Unrealistic.
So governments wrote off the rumors, focused on defense, and prepared for a second Demon Dragon raid.
But.
A week passed.
Two weeks.
A month.
Still no Demon Dragon sighting.
And conversely.
Proof that the rumors weren’t nonsense began surfacing one by one.