Chapter 99
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: The Thirty-Six Stratagems
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Lower-tier Awakened Ones of 1-star and 2-star ratings.
High-tier Awakened Ones with 3-star classes.
The gap between them was immense.
Dozens of lower-tier Awakened Ones couldn't even match a single high-tier one.
This was why lower-tier Awakened Ones desperately tried to upgrade their classes to become high-tier.
But that desperation was no less intense for the high-tier Awakened Ones.
If anything, it was greater.
This was because the gap between a 3-star Awakened One and a 4-star Awakened One was far more massive than the one between lower-tier and high-tier.
The presence or absence of a single 4-star Awakened One could determine a family's rise or fall for centuries to come.
Of course, it was no easy feat.
A lower-tier Awakened One could, on rare occasions, achieve a class upgrade through ten or twenty years of training and consuming mana stones…
But the difficulty for a high-tier Awakened One to advance was on another level entirely.
Not for decades, but for centuries.
They would purchase enough mana stones to bankrupt their entire family.
They would consume them carefully over a long period to avoid mana poisoning.
Yet, only one in dozens would actually become a 4-star Awakened One.
Most would end up either dying of old age, going bankrupt, or succumbing to mana contamination and ending their lives as mutants.
Thus, it was called:
The Wall of Transcendence.
It was a wall of despair that drove even nobles—who were born as high-tier Awakened Ones and boasted innate talent—to frustration.
That was how special they were.
The transcendent-tier Awakened Ones.
‘Fighting a transcendent-tier Awakened One right now is out of the question.’
In that regard, it was only natural for Dion to choose flight without a moment's hesitation the instant he faced Lar Arga, the Lord of the Ogre Demon Alliance, in the slaughterhouse.
Even for Dion, who possessed the memories of his second life in addition to the extraordinary talents of 【Bloodlust Star】 and 【Job Changer】…
No, it was precisely because of this that he knew the outcome all too well.
‘Fighting means 100% death.’
Even the overwhelming power the Vault Keeper had displayed when her seal was broken was a mere shadow compared to a transcendent-tier Awakened One.
If he had to put a number on it, she was no more than a 3.5-star.
And Dion’s current level was such that he couldn't even defeat that Vault Keeper, having to resort to all sorts of tricks to weaken her before finally subduing her.
Even that was only possible because he had thoroughly prepared, knowing her weaknesses.
Lar Arga, on the other hand, was a full-fledged transcendent-tier Awakened One.
Unless he was caught off guard by a nemesis-level artifact like Elise had been, he was a monster capable of slaughtering dozens of high-tier Awakened Ones by himself.
No matter how powerful Dion was, confronting him now was a suicide mission.
This was especially true given that, in the end, only a transcendent-tier Awakened One could face another.
‘If it were you, Voice, you would’ve told me to run.’
That was why Dion thought.
What would the Voice, who had always given him precise advice in his second life, have said?
It wasn't a difficult question.
No, it was incredibly easy.
The best course of action in this situation was already decided.
‘—even if it meant abandoning the others.’
Yes, that was right.
It was undoubtedly the best choice.
A decision anyone could understand.
Even if the entire party sacrificed their lives, they would barely last a few minutes.
But in this life-or-death situation, those few minutes were priceless.
『【Black Mage】☆☆☆ + 【Sand Mage】☆☆☆ + 【Necromancer】☆☆☆』
『Three same-class (☆☆☆) jobs of the same specialization have come together, activating a job combination.』
Triple Magic (魔法☆☆☆)
2nd Awakening
【Magus (魔道師)】
But in this moment.
Dion gave up on that best choice.
Instead, while the rest of his party was being shattered as they charged at Lar Arga.
He gathered his black magic, mana, and necromantic power to their absolute limits, weaving them into one.
“Sand Swamp of the Netherworld.”
*Grindddd!*
What swallowed the Twin-Head Troll, a giant nearly five meters tall, in a single gulp was a massive sand swamp.
It was dozens of meters deep.
Its terrifying suction power prevented even a feather or a leaf from floating to the surface.
It applied immense pressure to everything it pulled in, crushing even boulders into sand.
It was a swamp of death from which not even a giant could escape once trapped.
A spell that surpassed the limits of a 3-star class, made possible only by weaving together three different supernatural abilities into one.
However…
“You’ll be in the way. Take the others and get out of here first.”
“Wh-What?”
“Now!”
“Yes!”
At Dion’s sharp cry.
Riya, who had been sitting dumbfounded, snapped back to her senses.
She hastily loaded the unconscious Kael, Orr Kai, the Vault Keeper, and Parsha onto the back of the Great Forest Spider and fled.
It was right after she had left.
*Rumble, rumble, rumble…*
*Craaaash!!!*
As if an earthquake had struck.
The ground shook violently.
Just as the sand swamp began to churn like a wave.
A massive shadow burst out from within, along with an exploding pillar of sand.
It had sunk to the very bottom of the sand swamp.
And leaped up by kicking off the floor.
It was an incredibly simple and direct method.
But it was a method that required the absurd strength to send dozens of boulders flying, and with it, he broke through Dion's unique magic.
The Twin-Head Troll landed firmly on the ground.
Lar Arga then kicked off the earth.
*Boom!*
The ground exploded.
The air tore.
A fist shot out simultaneously.
It was a truly fatal blow.
A supersonic attack that no high-tier Awakened One could even react to, let alone dodge, resulting in instant death.
…Yes, that’s how it should have been.
―Using the special effect of 【Job Changer】 to swap stored jobs with current jobs.
1. 【Sand Mage】☆☆☆ → 【Monster Hunter】☆☆☆』
2. 【Necromancer】☆☆☆ → 【Archaeologist】☆☆☆
『【Ghost Tracker】☆☆☆ + 【Archaeologist】☆☆☆ + 【Monster Hunter】☆☆☆』
『Three same-class (☆☆☆) jobs of the same ability type have come together, activating a job combination.』
Triple Chakra (Chakra☆☆☆)
2nd Awakening
【Ascetic (修行者)】
【Ascetic】★★★
1. All Chakra job corrections increased by 1 rank.
2. Sensory Correction↑ (Large)
3. Technique Correction↑ (Medium)
4. Agility Correction↑ (Medium)
5. Durability Correction↓ (Large)
6. Power Correction↓ (Medium)
7. Stamina Correction↓ (Medium)
8. Class Traits: [Inner Peace (SR)], [Extrasensory Perception (SR)], [Accelerated Thought (R)], [Weak Point Detection (R)], [Stealthy Action (R)].
9. Unique Authority: 【Seven Gates Release】
―He who opens the gates of emotion, will, mind, body, soul, energy, and life shall realize the flow of mystery and advance toward enlightenment.
And so, the body that had been slow and dull due to the penalties of the 【Magus】 class became light and keen.
With a *click*, deep within his body.
The moment the first gate opened.
The chakra flowing through Dion’s body surged, and he suddenly accelerated to nearly twice his speed.
【Seven Gates Release】
The unique authority of the 【Ascetic】 class, which allowed him to arbitrarily open the seven gates that were the source of chakra, amplifying it several times over.
It transcended the limits of classes and traits, granting Dion the speed to dodge even the attack of a transcendent-tier Awakened One.
*BOOOOOM!*
“Kuh…!”
But no matter how fast he moved, he couldn't outrun the wind.
The roar and shockwave created by the supersonic fist were enough to rattle Dion’s internal organs.
This was especially true since his durability had been penalized as a trade-off for his class corrections.
If it weren't for his various traits like 【Hard Shell】, 【Rock Muscle】, and 【Living Stone】, the impact would have torn his organs apart.
But even as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Dion did not fall.
As he staggered, he spun around and, with a sword drawn like lightning, slashed at Lar Arga’s wrist.
*Slash!*
Was it due to the sharpness of the treasured sword, [Blade of Rashanta], forged from the scythe of the 3-star dungeon boss Rashanta?
Or was it because, with another *click*, the second gate in his body opened?
Was it because he channeled his speed, now four times faster, directly into the blade?
The blade bit into the rock-hard wrist, cutting a shallow gash.
And it didn't end with a single strike.
*Sh-sh-sh-sh-shwing!*
The outstretched wrist.
The Achilles tendon of the ankle.
The soft flesh behind the knee.
Even the navel and groin.
His technique of striking and retreating in rapid succession was a work of art.
It was a perfect harmony of exquisite swordsmanship, techniques that exploited the giant's blind spots, and methods that subtly struck at his openings.
He was the very model of a chakra user in every aspect, a display of countless combat experiences and advanced skills in perfect sync.
But that was all.
No matter how many times he stabbed and slashed.
He only managed to slightly pierce the thick hide.
The blade couldn't sever bone and muscle.
And even those shallow wounds were instantly healed by super-regeneration. The Twin-Head Troll simply swung its arm.
*Whoooosh!*
With a *click*, the third gate opened.
With his chakra now amplified eightfold and the predictive power of 【Combat Logic (SR)】.
Dion barely managed to evade Lar Arga’s even faster attack…
But again, the ensuing roar and shockwave rattled his insides.
And Lar Arga did not miss the moment Dion's movements slowed.
*KLAAAAANG!!!*
He had struck the sword with his bare hand.
A deafening clang, like metal striking metal, rang out as the boy was sent flying like a piece of paper.
He had only managed to survive by deflecting the impact with his surging chakra and exquisite skill.
*Crack*.
The crack on the [Blade of Rashanta] and his limp arm were proof that if the angle of the blade had been off by even a fraction, he would have been killed instantly.
Only when he was in such a state.
Did Lar Arga stop moving.
And as the right head, Arga, spat out what seemed like a gallon of sand and growled in fury.
The left head, Lar, looked at Dion with deep, sunken eyes.
“To be a quadruple Awakened One at your age is one thing, but to possess such skill... The reputation of the White-Masked Young Master is well-deserved.”
It had only been a few minutes.
In that short time, he had not only broken through Dion’s magic but had also pushed him to the brink of death.
Lar did not hold back his admiration.
It wasn't just because of his talent as a quadruple Awakened One, a rarity anywhere in the Five Hundred Eight Spirits.
It was the mysterious magic he had woven by fusing three different types of supernatural abilities.
It was the terrifying movements and skill that even a master-level chakra user would not dare to imitate.
Above all, he was impressed by the fact that a mere high-tier Awakened One had held him off for a whole 'several minutes'.
“But you are foolish.”
“Yes, stupid!”
“With such talent, you might have crossed the Wall of Transcendence in fifty years. No, perhaps even thirty.”
“No chance! You, die, I eat!”
“In the end, your final destination will be my stomach.”
That was why Lar Arga bared his fangs more fiercely.
The White-Masked Young Master was already an irreconcilable enemy of the Ogre Demon Alliance.
The seeds of disaster had to be stamped out early.
‘So, it came to this.’
Dion thought, coughing up blood, his body a wreck.
Just as expected.
Yes.
This was a foregone conclusion.
It was the price for trying to deny an answer he already knew all too well.
In the first place, he couldn't draw out the full power of the 【Ascetic】 class with his low-level base jobs, and 【Seven Gates Release】 itself was an authority he couldn't use for long, as it placed an immense burden on his mind and body in exchange for explosive power.
Nevertheless, Dion did not regret his choice.
Was it because he trusted in some insurance plan for a worst-case scenario?
It was nothing of the sort.
It was simply because the best answer that everyone knew was, to Dion, the worst possible answer he could never accept.
He knew all too well from his second life that a victory gained by sacrificing ‘what is his’ was ultimately meaningless, no different from a defeat.
‘Voice, you would have tried to stop me.’
If it wasn't the best choice.
Then at least choose the next best one.
The Voice would have advised him, explained, and tried to persuade him.
But…
‘...But in the end, you would have accepted my choice.’
Thinking of his partner, who would have sighed and called him a lost cause, yet always found a new answer for him.
Dion slowly raised his head.
And as he watched Lar Arga stride toward him, he smiled faintly.
“We’ll have to see who ends up in whose stomach.”
“Kukuku… Pathetic, nonsense.”
“An amusing final word.”
Was it out of admiration for his boldness, smiling even in the face of death?
Or was it out of joy that the prey he was about to devour was such an extraordinary talent?
A savage smile on his face, Lar Arga reached out to grab Dion.
…No, he tried to grab him.
Had Dion not spoken one more sentence with an even deeper smile.
“Well now, is it really nonsense?”
“...?”
“...Arga!”
As Arga looked on with suspicion.
Lar, sensing something, moved instinctively.
The moment the massive Twin-Head Troll recoiled, shooting backward like an arrow.
*Craaaash!!!*
—An axe grazed the spot where Lar Arga had been standing.
It was too large and heavy to be a throwing axe, yet it flew with the speed of a thunderbolt.
As Lar Arga’s face hardened, watching the single axe create a massive crater in a corner of the wasteland with a tremendous impact.
Dion spoke in a relaxed tone.
“You’re late, old man.”
“Keuh, my being late is your fault for suddenly changing the plan, Gongja.”
“You think I wanted to change it? The situation forced my hand.”
“Don’t misunderstand. I am expressing my gratitude that you have carried out the request more successfully than I could have ever imagined, Gongja.”
“Be very grateful. And while you’re at it, make sure the reward is handsome.”
“Keuhuhuhuhu, of course, I must.”
*Thud, thud.*
Was it because of his massive frame, rivaling that of a giant?
Or was it because of the heavy armor and the colossal halberd he held in one hand?
With every step he took.
He caused heavy vibrations.
The old orc who approached Dion stroked his white beard and spoke with satisfaction.
“Thanks to you, I can now take down the Lord of the Ogre Demon Alliance.”
Before a war could even begin.
By eliminating its leader.
He rejoiced that he could now execute the stratagem of 'capturing the king to capture the bandits' from the Thirty-Six Stratagems.
Having lain in ambush at a sufficient distance, he had come rushing like a thunderbolt upon receiving Dion’s message via the [Origami Pouch].
He was a transcendent-tier Awakened One, infamous among the high nobles of the Deformed City as a martial powerhouse.
An ambitious man who had been targeting the Ogre Demon Alliance.
Looking at Urk, the Lord of Nakrang Castle, Lar Arga’s face twisted.