Chapter 135
Chapter 135
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Receive the New Recruits! (4)
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“Krraaaah!”
Molok’s body, which had charged like a monster rather than an alchemist, froze in place. Because right before his eyes stood an even greater monster.
“Th-that... uuuugh...”
Corrupted Fabricator. Though his hulking form was a fusion of alchemy and corruption crafted by an alchemist who wielded the power of corruption to create corrupted beings, his mind was no different from that of a mad scholar.
The very idea that such a being could keep his sanity before a true monster was flawed from the start.
“What’re you babbling, you retard!”
Thwack!
What snapped the fool back to his senses was the brutal beating from Rokan’s swing.
The King of Wrath’s axe, which boosted attack power by 30% when Berserk was active, slammed down dozens of times in an instant, pulverizing his body like wet clay with each strike.
Ssssh.
The body, forged as alchemy’s masterpiece, soon regenerated, but even Rokan wasn’t just standing idle during that time.
As if refusing to give him even a moment, Rokan’s axe strikes accelerated through consecutive hits until they reached their peak in a single instant.
“Ravager!”
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
Physical resistance, elasticity, defense—none of it mattered.
Before this electrifying violence.
The fool, who didn’t even know how to fight properly, was turned into mush, reduced to a “lump,” beaten one-sidedly until a change suddenly occurred.
‘Got it.’
Expansion. A rapid expansion at that.
His battered, mangled body suddenly swelled, shoving Rokan back.
Rokan, pushed away and using Evasion in the process, distanced himself fully and braced his defenses for the next attack.
Boom!
“Ugh.”
Molok’s bloated body reached its critical point and exploded.
From within emerged another body.
Not the pig-like form from before, but a small, agile new lifeform rising from the spot.
“You damned human! Forcing me to pull out the foundation of my great undertaking this early. You will pay dearly for this. Not just you, but every living thing that moves!”
He spat curses at Rokan.
But Rokan didn’t charge in like before. He knew how the boss’s behavior would proceed in phase 3.
‘Pushing it now would be overkill anyway.’
Combat-form flesh. Even for Rokan, subjugating Molok now that he’d obtained it wasn’t something he could do quickly.
Especially not now, with Berserk’s duration steadily ticking down. No need for that, either.
“Behold! This world crumbling! I shall be the herald proclaiming His will to the world!”
“Hey, hurry up and fuck off!”
Twitch.
Rokan, annoyed by the pointless speech now that he’d heard enough, casually raised his axe, and Molok’s body flinched mid-monologue.
Though reborn in a new form, his mind still remembered Rokan’s violence.
“J-just you wait!”
Perhaps because of that, he hastily wrapped up his words, activated a mechanism, and vanished somewhere, fleeing the dungeon.
[You have discovered the Corrupted Fabricator’s Lab.]
[You have uncovered a clue about the faction wielding corrupted power.]
[Reporting to the Investigation Team will earn you great recognition.]
[Further investigation may reveal traces of which faction is involved.]
Information related to the corrupted power poured in as well.
Since Rokan already knew what lay where, he effortlessly gathered all the valuable intel without much effort.
Now, bringing this to the Investigation Team would kick off the main scenario quest in earnest.
It was a step up from the stagnation of mere “corrupted monster hunts.”
[Party member ‘Hamel’ has achieved the impossible.]
“...What?”
At that moment, Rokan’s vision shook. His pupils dilated as if he’d seen something he shouldn’t have.
[Party member ‘Miti’ has achieved the impossible.]
Not just “unbelievable” or “miraculous”—impossible achievements! Those were the descriptors that appeared when earning Legend-grade titles.
And not one, but two of them?
“Crazy bastards. They really killed it?”
Only one possibility came to mind. They’d slain something meant to be unbeatable.
Considering that just stalling it would net at least a Unique title, actually killing it could easily yield Epic or Legend-grade ones.
No, it was exactly the kind of feat Legend-grade titles existed for.
“Anyway, this game’s full of lunatics.”
It didn’t quite sound right coming from him, but Rokan sincerely shook his head and thoroughly ransacked the lab, leisurely collecting materials.
Unlike Hamel and Miti, who’d snagged Legend-grade titles, he hadn’t even gotten a Rare one, but gathering these would still yield decent side income.
The main dish hadn’t appeared yet, after all.
“Seven days is plenty of time.”
In his past life, Molok wouldn’t reappear for seven days. And then, a very entertaining situation would unfold.
One he’d create himself.
“Aghhh, I’m dying. Lord Rokan, what now?”
“Legend! I’m a Legend! This is insane. Totally insane!”
While Rokan smirked slyly, Miti and Hamel arrived after moving through the floors.
Despite their wretched states, their lips twitched upward from the Legend-grade titles, making Rokan’s stomach ache a bit, but he kept his expression neutral and issued the next order.
“We’re heading back.”
At Rokan’s return command, they tore return scrolls without complaint. They returned to the Investigation Team building in Taimura, reported in, and handed over the materials from the Corrupted Fabricator’s Lab.
“Whoa, this is...”
[Unbelievable achievement! You have uncovered the secret of a faction using corrupted power. Your merit peels back one layer of the secret faction’s veil.]
[Acquired title ‘Secret Scout.’]
[A new quest related to corrupted power has been added.]
[Titles ‘Explorer’ and ‘Secret Scout’ combine.]
[Acquired title ‘Secret Tracker.’]
[Secret Tracker][Unique+]
You possess a special talent for discovering and tracking things shrouded in mystery.
[Effects]
-Vision enhancement
-[Night Vision] effect: Secures daytime visibility at night
-High chance to discover hidden mechanisms
-Can identify suspicious entities
-Partial decryption of codes or unknown documents possible
“Whew! Unique title this time too! Jackpot!”
He snagged another Unique title.
Though the grade dipped a bit due to the three-man party, it was still Unique. If he’d soloed a breakthrough, it might’ve been Epic or Legend.
Regrettable, but unavoidable. Better to unlock the main scenario quest than waste time forcing it.
‘Secret Tracker, huh...’
Moreover, Rokan’s wasn’t just any Unique title. It combined with his existing Explorer title to become Unique+.
A step below Epic, but with enhanced prior effects and solid new ones, it was plenty satisfying.
“Thank you, Lord Rokan. No, Rokan God!”
“Hehehehe, so where to next...”
As Rokan quietly examined the title’s effects, Miti and Hamel approached like eager puppies, eyes sparkling.
They’d suffered hellishly, but riding along briefly had netted Legend and Unique titles plus multiple level-ups—a proper bus ride for them.
And tied to the Investigation Team, they could expect more ahead, right?
But Rokan crushed their hopes mercilessly.
“Nah, this is where we part. I’ll call if I need you later.”
The team had grouped them, but he didn’t have to stick with them. He’d only teamed up because he needed them this time—no plans to keep traveling together.
Team play didn’t suit him, and they were too weak anyway.
“Th-then, maybe add as friends...? Or an autograph...”
“Ah, well...”
Their reactions split at his indifferent reply. Miti was endlessly disappointed, while Rokan fan Hamel stepped up for an autograph.
“...Sure.”
Rokan, gazing down at them, initiated the friend add first. As fellow investigators, their traits and skills might prove useful later.
“Wooow! Won’t... brag or anything. Thanks anyway!”
“Call anytime!”
Parting with them, Rokan left the Investigation Team building and began preparations for seven days later.
Leveling up or tackling the new main scenario quest was fine, but controlling what happened in seven days would yield massive gains.
And seven days later.
* * *
Grrrrrr.
In the borderlands called Iblain, centered between the Golden Lion Alliance and the Black Dragon Legion, a group had gathered.
They exuded a ferocious aura like starving beasts—similar races among them, but dozens of species in total, which was unusual. Some were even mortal enemies.
How could they gather peacefully?
Simple. Someone was controlling them.
“Go. Eradicate all living beings.”
At the center stood the one who’d been brutally smashed by Rokan: Molok.
Having mastered the drugs he’d absorbed while wielding corruption to create new beings, he’d reemerged.
Surrounding him were entities granted corrupted power by him.
Corrupted monsters. Enough to number in the thousands, beyond hundreds—each capable of massacring same-level players solo—now under Molok’s command as their master.
“Lord Molok, where shall we strike first?”
“Anywhere. All that lives must be erased.”
Besides the corrupted monsters, two others flanked him.
Spreaders of corruption’s power. Their motives unknown, they finally began to move.
“But still... humans first.”
His first move carried unavoidable emotion.
Fury at his grand undertaking being forced ahead prematurely, and resentment from the brutal beating.
Thus, the initial target: a human city.
[World Event. Corrupted Wave begins.]
[Corrupted monsters invade. Fail to stop them, and you may lose the region.]
A global announcement appeared simultaneously.
A true World Event.
Local or race-specific events had popped up casually before, but this was the first targeting all races.
Rodoss: Event notice? What’s a corrupted monster? New type?
└Man Hunt: Weaklings who don’t know corrupted monsters, just log off. Don’t die yapping.
└Nimamanner: Upper guy’s personality ; Corrupted monsters are mutant field mobs. Not bosses, but stronger! Rewards are juicy tho!
Alicia: But “wave” means corrupted monsters pouring in, right ;;; Balance break? We’re screwed.
└Godcheon: Nah, that can’t be. Probably just some, or the boss is corrupted. Issue’s the level. Even 230s would wipe us.
└Can’tDrink: Hidden experts will cover up to 230s, 250s would wipe. But devs won’t spawn those. Guessing 230-240. Wave mobs around 210-230. What mobs swarm like that tho?
Chojang: Taking reports on corrupted monsters. Our guild’ll handle. GO.
Chaos erupted in every city, village, and forum.
As the first major event, ‘first’ titles were practically guaranteed.
Some guilds openly recruited reports; others moved stealthily via insider info.
But before them, one stood to block the Corrupted Wave.
“You slow bastards.”
Rokan himself. Knowing exactly where Molok and the Wave would spawn, he’d appeared alone in empty Iblain.
He had no intention of slaughtering them solo, though. If so, he’d have hidden at the spawn point and ended it instantly with Berserk and Ravager.
Rokan planned to bend them to his will.