Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Branch Point (1)
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The integration of five territories, including the Rynai fief.
They weren't large fiefs by any means, but Rokan had become the lord of a domain so vast it was unimaginable for a mere baron's holdings.
"Now I just need to get promoted."
A grin spread across his face.
With this much fame and merit already accumulated, he could probably rise straight to viscount rank as soon as he built up a bit more.
No, there was an even easier way.
[You have been promoted from baron to viscount.]
Buying the title outright!
Getting a baron's rank was tough, but upgrading from baron to viscount was possible with enough money.
Since he'd used purchases to consolidate some of the fiefs in the process, his domain's coffers weren't much different from when he'd swallowed up the Remington fief.
And that was more than enough to buy a viscountcy.
He even had the right connection handy.
"Ahem, don't get the wrong idea. You earned the title fair and square with your qualifications. I've heard from the investigation team that you've uncovered quite a bit about the corrupting power. I've reported how you helped me, so you'll soon receive a summons from His Imperial Majesty."
After stuffing a whopping 5,000 gold down Croban's throat, the man had coughed up the viscount title. He'd originally planned to hog all the credit for himself but ended up sharing a little.
Thanks to that, arranging the promised meeting with the emperor for Rokan now had solid justification and went smoothly, which wasn't bad for Croban either.
As a council member and great noble, he had no further room to climb even if he curried favor with the emperor.
"Yes, I understand. Thank you."
Deep down, Rokan wanted to scrape together merchant capital and buy his way up to earl, but unfortunately, earldoms couldn't be purchased with money alone. They were ranks the emperor started paying close attention to.
To climb once more, he'd need to rack up substantial achievements.
'Even with this, there's plenty I can do.'
Expanding his territory and training elite soldiers were now options.
Though his own power would still be the ultimate force.
[Your registered arena information has been confirmed.]
[Arena: Will you participate in the knight-class battle? Accept to be transported to the arena.]
"Yeah."
At that moment, the arena entry pass in Rokan's possession vibrated faintly.
It was supposed to activate only inside the arena, but since no one else had registered for knight class yet, it notified him directly as the only possible opponent.
From now on, he'd have to go to the arena to fight. Or save up arena points to buy a remote entry pass.
"Knight class already?"
Knight class had appeared faster than in his previous life.
"Well, those guys were in the middle of their knight quests."
But on second thought, it was entirely predictable.
If the Meteor Guild had won their knight duel, they'd have become knights too, right?
Even if those guys had seized some special opportunity, the upper ranks being this far along meant plenty of top players might already be knights. Not everyone registered in the arena upon reaching knight class.
Bzzz.
As soon as he entered the arena, the pass vibrated as if waiting.
A quick tap, and his view shifted. He'd entered the arena proper.
"Huh."
His berserk aftereffects had fully worn off while he'd been playing lord. He casually looked up to size up his opponent—and spotted a very familiar face.
"Damn it, Rokan after all."
The man stood with his staff gripped like a spear.
A short robe draped over him like a cape, lightweight leather armor beneath. The mage was Ares, the grand magus who, like Rokan in his past life, had reached master level in the mage class.
Mage versus berserker.
It looked like an overwhelmingly favorable matchup for Rokan on paper, but knowing who he was up against, Rokan didn't let his guard down.
Fond memories were fond memories, but a fight was a fight. They weren't friends—just shared a bit of camaraderie from similar paths.
And this guy was every bit the maniac Rokan was.
"Come on, no time to waste—let's get to it."
"You first."
Ares dared to flick the tip of his staff toward Rokan.
The battle had already begun, so Rokan didn't hesitate. He flashed a grin and leaped at him.
"Ehey, so impatient! Blink, Grease, Fire Wall!"
Rokan's strike was lightning-fast, but Ares slipped away as if expecting it, unleashing his prepared spells in rapid succession to pin Rokan down instantly.
A short-range teleport dodged the attack, grease slicked the ground to throw off his balance, and a wall of fire rose to roast him alive.
"Hmph!"
Boom!
Such a fluid combo would have flustered anyone else into panic, but Rokan flowed right into it. As his foot slipped, he slammed his axe into the ground.
The slippery floor shattered—no bounce-back properties—and the rising flames snuffed out like candles.
Even if they'd fully erupted, Rokan's high fire resistance would have shrugged them off anyway.
"Tch! Rokan, huh."
But Ares didn't seem too disappointed.
He hadn't expected Rokan to fall to something this basic. Muttering complaints, he swiftly began his next cast.
"Wall of Stone!"
"Shoulder Charge!"
This time, a barrier of rising stone. But Rokan didn't dodge—he smashed through.
"Paralyze Field. Wall of Stone."
[You have been exposed to Paralyze Field. Your body is paralyzed for 5 seconds.]
Then came the timed paralyze spell. Even Rokan couldn't dodge this one and froze in place.
On top of that, another stone wall erupted right in front of him, trapping him in the lingering paralyze zone.
'Five seconds...'
Even with his superhuman strength, all Rokan could manage was raising his arms to guard vital spots.
Five seconds. Add charge-up time, and it was about seven.
Even rushing after the paralysis lifted, breaking through the stone wall would take around ten seconds.
Short time, but a huge opening for Ares.
"Double Spell, Memorize, Balance, Combine, Compress."
Proving it, ultra-hot flames flickered into existence around Ares.
Double Spell into Memorize—a triple cast seeming to unfold at once. They merged, spun into a larger blaze, then compressed smaller than before, forming a red orb packed with explosive power.
"Mega Flare!"
It rocketed toward Rokan just as he shattered the wall and emerged.
KABOOM!
A massive explosion. Nothing else described it.
The space where Rokan stood erupted in a fireworks display of flames.
"GRRAAAAH!"
From within roared a beast.
Rokan, barely blocking Ares's ultimate—creation and combo skills fused into one—with berserk, gleamed with madness as he unleashed his hostility.
"Surrender!"
At that instant, Ares shouted desperately.
Surrender—or forfeit.
The command ended the arena match. Rokan's berserk forcibly canceled, surroundings shifted. Victory.
[You have won the match.]
[Current win streak: 1]
[You have acquired 20 arena points.]
[Current arena points: 296]
"This guy..."
Ares was the same as ever. Probably clutching his chest, laughing off how close he'd come to disaster.
If they'd fought to the end, Rokan would have won for sure.
But without berserk? Telling a berserker to fight sans berserk was ridiculous in itself, yet this guy had pushed him this far.
Ares's level was at least 20 below his own, and no legend titles padding it out.
An absurd laugh snapped him alert.
Even a top-tier mage like Ares, the grand magus, had landed such a painful hit. It stung his overconfident heart more than his body.
He was peerlessly strong—yet still weak. The reminder hit hard.
"Alright. Rematch next time."
Rokan waved farewell to Ares somewhere in the arena and exited gracefully.
Another match request would just pair them again, so Ares surely wouldn't continue either.
'Domain issues sorted, gear still solid enough.'
With viscount rank secured, quests galore opened up if he wanted.
Noble-status exclusives, or subjugation quests only for those with domains and troops—rewards far superior to common ones.
'Then feats and leveling?'
But Rokan zeroed in on one thing.
Could it grant a feat? Special power? Yes or no.
Plain gold and EXP rewards? Unnecessary.
Taxes from five fiefs covered funds aplenty, plus massive daily sales from two visitor shops.
Fast EXP and levels were nice, but he knew that alone wouldn't make him truly strong. Past life and now.
That's why he'd chosen the thorny path to get here.
So he sifted for current-state feat opportunities.
'Simplest is corrupted monsters.'
The upgraded magic map from the investigation team gave rough locations—not exactly simple, but corrupted monster hunts packed power. Good drops, but mainly for absorbing corruption to empower the [Soul-Piercing Power] engraving.
Yet it could wait. Unless it led to the corruption's source.
So he tabled it. What else?
Pondering overlooked options, something clicked.
"First, fill the blanks."
Before aiming higher, time to shore up basics. Even with his might, Rokan still lacked completions.
"Last engraving's gotta be that one."
Engravings. [Soul-Piercing Power] and [Blood Engraving] took one slot each, leaving three open.
Plenty? Not when some ate multiple slots—could end with two or one.
Irremovable once set, so caution necessary. But two slots free meant he'd held off on power grabs.
Busy, biding time—luxury, arrogance even.
No more delays, he decided.
And that choice would open a new branch point in The Lord.