Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: Pyramid (4)
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“Counterattack!”
But what flew in right after was a counterstrike.
Rokan casually parried the attack with a Creation Skill, but the enemy blocked it by raising his greatsword.
Creeeang!
With a heavy clang, the surrounding soldiers fell back.
What was astonishing was how the foe didn’t budge even an inch from Rokan’s blow.
Instead, Rokan tensed up as the enemy pivoted on the greatsword planted in the ground and unleashed a kick.
“Nice!”
It had been a while since he’d tangled with a proper powerhouse.
Considering only level-based stats, Rokan was nearing level 300, but with user gear bonuses and title effects factored in, monster levels had spiked dramatically too—enough to match his Strength.
“Shoulder Charge!”
Rokan ducked his head to dodge the kick, then unleashed terrifying momentum from his crouched form, leading with his sturdy pauldrons as he charged into the enemy’s guard like a wild boar.
“Horizontal Shift!”
Even Torra, a high noble and great general, dared not clash head-on with that Force-infused charge and activated a Creation Skill.
Horizontal Shift.
A high-speed movement technique that shifted him to the opponent’s flank in an instant.
“Tch.”
A series of horizontal slashes came slicing across Rokan’s body, but he let his momentum carry him into a roll across the ground.
In martial arts novels, they called this a tumble—hardly a dignified sight, but Rokan felt no shame or bruised pride.
‘Winning is what matters.’
Caring about pride or looking cool only to die would be the real disgrace.
He kicked off the ground and shot forward, attempting a tackle.
“Argh!”
With his legs hooked and yanked out from under him, the enemy had no way to resist. A short weapon might’ve been different, but at this ultra-close range, Rokan was untouchable with that greatsword.
“Heh heh heh. Jealous? Go grab yourself an inventory!”
Rokan, on the other hand, was different. The moment he’d launched Shoulder Charge, he’d stowed his weapon in his inventory—then summoned it back out the instant he mounted the foe.
The battle axe was too bulky for such close quarters, but he solved that by gripping the haft short. Another perk of axes. He hammered the head—bigger than a man’s skull—into the enemy repeatedly, draining his health in steady chunks.
“Grrgh! Sand Armor!”
But the enemy wasn’t going down easy. He invoked the desert noble’s power to shove Rokan back, then cloaked himself in sand armor.
This was the deadliest combo skill of the desert great general.
That’s why Rokan had wanted to finish him before it activated—but alas, the foe had triggered it early.
“Annoying.”
But it wasn’t unbeatable.
Anyone else might struggle, but with Rokan’s attack power, he could burst the sand armor—halved damage or not—and embed strikes into the enemy’s flesh beneath.
Still, there was an even easier way.
“B Bombardment!”
First things first: harass him. It was more than harassment—far too powerful a blow—but the enemy confidently summoned sand. He thickened his armor and even formed a shield, standing firm to block head-on.
Pang! Fsssh.
And block it he did. Not a single step back.
“Aqua Boom!”
But that was all part of Rokan’s plan. With the sand armor up, he knew the enemy wouldn’t retreat—he’d tank it.
So he chained a spell right after Bombardment.
Aqua Boom!
The same magic he’d used to hunt Giant Rain and Killer Rain unfolded once more.
“Urk…”
The damage was negligible, at first.
But one problem arose: the sand was soaked through, making it hard to control.
It could still hold a shape, but without rigidity, the sand armor that constantly shifted to boost defense became a flimsy single-layer shell.
“Mad Slash.”
Sure, the enemy could dispel it and remake it—but Rokan wouldn’t just let that happen.
He surged in almost simultaneously with Aqua Boom, slashing wildly.
The foe endured Mad Slash with his tough body somehow, but the follow-up Frenzy Dance and Chain Strikes tore him apart.
“Whew!”
[You have acquired a High-grade Bloodstone.]
And with that, the last high noble mummy fell.
Yet no key fragment for the next floor appeared. He’d already collected them all from the other high noble mummies.
The reason he’d bothered with this one? High-grade Bloodstone. More precisely, the Supreme Bloodstone it would help craft.
‘No, not the last one.’
As Rokan collected the High-grade Bloodstone, his eyes turned to the true final prize.
Rolpi.
Even without Rolpi’s Bloodstone, a Supreme Bloodstone was possible—but Rokan had his eyes on that one too.
He’d use the Supreme Bloodstone himself, and submit Rolpi’s High-grade one to the council.
“I’ll craft it first, so keep working.”
But he couldn’t reveal that yet. Supreme Bloodstone came first.
While Rokan crafted the Supreme Bloodstone, Rolpi hummed a cheerful tune as he rallied the remaining soldiers. When Rokan returned, he hunted them down to level up.
[You have leveled up.]
Level 250! He’d breezed right through the dreaded ‘hell level’ zone.
“Alright, let’s chain it up.”
“Thank you for your efforts. Then I’ll be—”
And with the key fragments, he immediately opened the door to the final floor, where the Desert Emperor awaited.
“What are you talking about? You’re coming with.”
“Y-Yes, but I… If I go to the em—emperor, he’ll surely kill me…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you with my e—ff—ort.”
Rolpi, the final high noble who’d now rule this floor as king, was thrilled to see him off—but Rokan slammed on the brakes. This had been his plan from the start.
“Y-You don’t mean you planned this from the beginning…!”
“So, you refusing now?”
The binding force of their absolute cooperation contract spurred Rolpi on. Hand over the High-grade Bloodstone and refuse, or go to the emperor and be destroyed.
Of course, Rokan would ‘effort’ to keep him alive—but he didn’t expect Rolpi to survive.
The Desert Emperor would spot him instantly, rage at the betrayal, and mark him as first target.
He might even go berserk right away.
Either way, Rokan could land a hit or two. Profit.
“I knew I shouldn’t have trusted a human’s promise…!”
“So, you coming or not?”
Rolpi was near panic, but Rokan didn’t care. He issued the final order.
“Alright, you first.”
The moment of choice. Rolpi picked the painless death.
“You bastard… I’ll curse you!”
Crackle!
Red sparks erupted from his body as the contract activated.
He still craved life, but better a quick end than the emperor’s wrath and a miserable demise.
[The contract with High Noble Mummy Rolpi has been terminated.]
[You have acquired a High-grade Bloodstone.]
With the final High-grade Bloodstone secured, Rokan headed straight to the floor where the Desert Emperor waited, without regrets.
[You have entered the Desert Emperor’s Throne Room.]
The surroundings shifted again with the alert.
This time, a grand throne room lavishly decorated with gold and jewels. And at its end, on the jade throne, sat the Desert Emperor, Scorpion King, as expected.
[Desert Emperor Scorpion King][Lv 280]
A muscular upper body that could pass for human—or even troll. Pincers that could crush anything, a scorpion lower body. Especially the tail loaded with deadly venom—it tensed anyone who saw it.
Even Rokan.
Of course, he had faith he wouldn’t lose—but why take the hard road when there was an easier one?
“Stealth.”
Stealth first. He hid his body and crept close enough without entering detection range.
“Mechanical Rat, use.”
Zzzzt!
Next, Mechanical Rats. One-shots for silence, but releasing three in different directions split the attention inevitably.
“Who dares cause a commotion in my sacred throne room!”
Kwachik.
But they didn’t last long.
The Mechanical Rats had a built-in ‘Taunt’ to draw eyes, but whether three, five, or dozens, the Desert Emperor could smash them in one hit.
He surely commanded sand manipulation beyond what the nobles had.
“Leap Attack!”
But that sliver of time was all Rokan needed. Crouched low to build thrust, he launched straight at the enemy’s face.
“Foolish!”
Lightning-fast charge, but the distance was too great. The opponent too strong.
Rokan was spotted before closing half the gap.
Shiiik.
The eerie, venom-laden scorpion tail gleamed sharply, coming to greet him.
“Rampage!”
The instant the stinger flew—not just to pierce, but impale—Rokan triggered a Creation Skill. He poured out every attack and defense skill, including Berserk, then capped it with Invincibility!
Kagagagang!
Even the Scorpion King jolted in shock when his tail clashed with Rokan’s battle axe. Berserk-boosted power, after all.
“Charge! Shoulder Charge!”
Freed from the counter, Rokan burrowed into the thrashing Scorpion King’s guard. He slammed his body into the massive frame.
“Guh!”
Tough shell like plate armor protected him, but Rokan’s committed Shoulder Charge wasn’t so easily shrugged off.
A short grunt of pain, and the upper body buckled—the head dropping from four meters to human height.
“Evasion.”
Rokan seized the opening.
Using another Creation Skill, Evasion, he slipped out of the enemy’s reach in a flash, then dashed to the lowered face.
He wrenched open the pain-gaped maw by the jaw and shoved something inside.
“Open wide—Bloodstone incoming.”
He flung the painstakingly crafted Supreme Bloodstone deep into its mouth with Throw.
“Keurk!”
[The Desert Emperor Scorpion King has used a Supreme Bloodstone.]
[The Desert Emperor Scorpion King’s health has been restored to maximum.]
[The Desert Emperor Scorpion King has been afflicted with Supreme Blood Poison.]
Bloodstones were restoratives in themselves—but also potent poisons.
No exception for desert denizens. If they could fully neutralize this blood poison, they wouldn’t still be trapped in the pyramid.
Thus, even the Scorpion King couldn’t escape the Supreme Bloodstone’s poison.
“Heh heh heh. Now the real fight begins.”
The Supreme Blood Poison’s power could kill even Master-level foes—not just Rokan or the Scorpion King. All that remained was waiting it out.
Flee and stall, and the Scorpion King would self-destruct, handing Rokan victory. Just survive the time.
But passively waiting wasn’t Rokan’s style.
Since he’d already popped Berserk, he gripped his battle axe tighter and charged the Scorpion King more aggressively.