Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Scorn Desert (2)
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# 112
Boomph!
Green sparks flew wildly from the Corrupted Fire Spirit as it took Rokan’s lethal blow full-on with its body.
[You have been exposed to Corrupted Flames.]
[You will take continuous fire damage until the flames extinguish.]
[Damage reduced by 20% due to the effect of the title ‘Fallen Hunter’.]
But the thing was no pushover. True to its status as a high-level boss monster, it didn’t just tank the hits—it struck back hard.
This was why the ‘corrupted monsters’ encountered on the Central Continent were such a pain.
Unlike those overtaken by corrupting power, losing themselves and mutating, these had the strength to resist full domination. They digested or twisted the corrupting power to suit their own abilities.
It was like how users were divided into class users and class experts—these could be split into corrupted users and corrupted experts.
“Corrupted—Flame Strike!”
“Dodge!”
He barely evaded with a creation skill, but a log-thick fire lance nearly nailed him.
“Acting all tough!”
No stun on hit.
Rokan clicked his tongue at the most threatening trait of coreless spirit monsters like golems or liches and charged again.
“Frenzy!”
He unleashed a barrage of force- and frost-infused strikes, shredding the spirit’s body once more.
“Why…… do you…… torment…… me……!”
“Block, block, block!”
Kaboom!
A massive explosion, nearly a self-destruct.
Even Rokan found it too much to tank head-on this time. He activated the shield embedded in his ring, but it crumbled like sugar coating.
“Unyielding Advance.”
But that was enough. He’d weathered the attack and closed in for the counter.
“Wheel Wind!”
It was a skill for mass slaughter, but unmatched for sustained damage.
Driving his battle axe deep and activating Wheel Wind, the spirit’s waist severed and reformed repeatedly, letting out grotesque screams.
“Kyaaarak!”
Now it was a battle of time and endurance.
Checking his steadily dropping health, Rokan kept grinding away the flames with Wheel Wind, ready to counter with Berserk at any moment.
“……Liberate…… thank…….”
Strength against strength, endurance against endurance. The victor was Rokan.
[You have defeated the Corrupted Fire Spirit.]
[The curse of fire on the parched desert village of Skipo is lifted.]
[Caution: The suppressed desert water vein will soon reform.]
[Amazing feat! You are the first Spirit Hunter.]
[You have acquired the title ‘Try Slicing Anything’.]
[You are the first to acquire this title.]
[Amazing feat! The spirits feel gratitude toward you for freeing them from pain.]
[You have acquired the title ‘Spirit Liberator’.]
[You are the first to acquire this title.]
[Try Slicing Anything][Rare]
You are an amazing warrior who slices even spirits regardless of type. Henceforth, you face no restrictions based on enemy type.
You are the first to acquire this title.
[Effects]
-Damage 100% effective even against incorporeal enemies
-Basic damage increases the more diverse races you hunt
-Current successful hunt races: 1 (damage +1%)
[Spirit Liberator][Rare]
The spirits feel gratitude toward you for freeing them from pain.
[Effects]
-Favor of the spirits
“Heh heh heh!”
Amid his singed, frizzy hair and soot-blackened armor, Rokan flashed a chilling grin.
Spirit Liberator was decent, but he’d snagged ‘Try Slicing Anything’—a title that would become essential for top players.
It wouldn’t retroactively apply to past kills, but its cumulative power made the rare rank look cheap.
[Hurry! The area will close in 5 minutes.]
“Tch.”
No time to savor it—the alert urged him on. With the Corrupted Fire Spirit gone, water was refilling the place.
Get caught in that, and even Rokan could drown before finding a way out.
“Oh, did you find something?”
Climbing back up the rope he’d left, he was greeted by villagers still waiting.
His ragged state screamed that something big had gone down inside, fueling their quiet hopes.
“Yes. It’s solved. You can use the well again now.”
“Aaah……!”
[You have completed the quest ‘Cause of the Drought’.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have acquired the title ‘Savior of Skipo’.]
[Savior of Skipo][Unique]
All hail your ability to save the desert village on the brink of crumbling under a fire curse.
[Effects]
-All stats +20
-Absolute cooperation from Skipo desert village
-Fire resistance +10%
Quest complete: a flood of EXP and a title. The fire resistance boost was the real prize.
“Then, excuse me a moment.”
While they checked the well water, Rokan stepped aside to inspect his inventory.
“Well, now…….”
He broke into a huge grin.
Too hectic earlier to check, but among the items the villagers provided were exactly what he’d been after.
Prep materials he’d have had to farm for the pyramid run.
Especially the sahuagin flower, blue stone for finding water, red sand—things that’d take him ages to gather.
‘Even scorpion inner cores in this quantity…….’
Another standout: desert scorpion inner cores.
Consumables that slightly boosted fire and poison resistance. Tough to hunt due to hard shells and venomous tails, yet dozens piled up in his inventory.
“This is why you gotta live right.”
Not exactly words from him, but Rokan meant it, beaming with joy.
[You have consumed a Desert Scorpion Inner Core. Poison resistance increased. Fire resistance slightly increased.]
Fire resistance was nice, but the real value was building poison immunity—hard to come by.
Hadn’t he suffered plenty from poison users in his past life?
Poisons with ongoing effects were Berserk’s worst nightmare, so maxing resistance whenever possible was key.
Thus, Rokan devoured the cores right there, like melting chocolates.
[You have consumed a Desert Scorpion Inner Core. Poison resistance increased. Fire resistance slightly increased.]
[You have consumed Desert Scorpion Inner Cores to the maximum.]
[Poison resistance has reached a certain level. You have acquired the title ‘Immune to a Hundred Poisons’.]
[Immune to a Hundred Poisons][Rare]
You’ve reached a realm where a hundred poisons can’t touch you! Ordinary toxins won’t trouble you.
[Effects]
-Poisons below a certain level nullified
The title from maxing scorpion cores: Immune to a Hundred Poisons.
Nullifies low-level poisons outright. Just rare rank, but hugely useful.
Level 200 and below? Useless now.
‘If only I could push to a thousand…….’
Ten thousand was a pipe dream. But a thousand would neuter level 200 poisons and halve level 300 ones.
He’d barely scraped it together in his past life, but now the greed stirred.
‘Might actually be doable.’
Quick mental math, and Rokan smiled in satisfaction.
Hunting scorpions himself would take forever, but with this stock? Possible.
“First things first, the pyramid.”
And for that, he needed to find it.
“The altar should do it, probably.”
The villagers’ items fell a bit short, but no issue. A little hunting en route would fill the gap.
“The Pyramid Legend? Of course. Anyone living in Scorn Desert knows it.”
“I think Grandpa mentioned it once. Something about a lion guiding you if you offer sincerely.”
“Gather all the desert treasures and offer them to meet the Desert Emperor!”
With the well restored and peace returned, Rokan immediately canvassed for pyramid info.
He already knew how, but needed their words to trigger the related quest.
[Pyramid Legend][Quest]
Discover the pyramid known only as legend in Scorn Desert.
Uncover the ancient legends left in the desert.
-Completion condition: Discover the pyramid
-Completion reward: None
‘Had to hit trusted reputation to hear it, so discovery lagged.’
That’s why pyramid dungeon discovery was late in his past life. Tricky conditions meant top users were late 200s or even 300+.
Plenty of goodies inside drew latecomers, but prep time plus better high-level spots made it meh, like a hot potato.
But now? Rokan’s Skipo rep was absolute trust, and his level perfect for it.
No hesitation: he wrapped up inquiries, used his magic map, and headed to the altar.
“Order doesn’t matter, I think.”
Abandoned desert temple—so called, but weathered to bare bones. Rokan placed his prepared items one by one on the altar.
Rumble rumble rumble.
The ground shook violently, the temple threatening to collapse.
‘Scare tactic…….’
Sandworm. Earth dragon, worm-like, but with a body bigger than an ancient tree and free movement under desert sands, it reigned like a dragon here.
But as it targeted him, Rokan’s reaction was tepid. Arms crossed, just watching.
Screeek. Thwack!
Then, atop the sandworm rising from the earth, something leaped down, smacking its head.
[Desert Sphinx][Lv ?]
“O faithful offerer, I shall…….”
“Shut it and guide me to the pyramid!”
A monster whose level wouldn’t even display. One that made you shrink just existing. Rokan barked half-familiars at it.
He knew it’d yap endlessly otherwise—a chatterbox.
Plus, as a guide, with offerings met and conditions fulfilled, it couldn’t harm him.
“……Understood, human.”
The Sphinx’s grand entrance wasted, it scooped Rokan in its mouth and soared toward the pyramid.