Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: Searching for the Gale's Traces (1)
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[Iron Chains Sealing Ruin][Legend]
Iron Chains Sealing Ruin. Their method of use and purpose were unknown.
-Basic use allows special skill [Subdue]
-Attachable to equipment
-When attached to equipment, increases attack power/defense power
-When attached to equipment, special option applied
-Once attached to equipment, cannot be detached until the equipment is destroyed
The grade was a whopping Legend! But the options felt a bit off. The chains could be used on their own, and they could also be attached to equipment.
Equipment-attachment items like this existed, but the options were peculiar.
It seemed applicable to both weapons and armor given the attack power or defense power boost, yet the special option upon attachment wasn't displayed.
‘Different for each piece of equipment?’
The only possibility he could think of was random options, but having to destroy the equipment to recover it after attachment was a major drawback.
“Whatever it is, I’ll have to try it out.”
It felt like some curse-like ability, but it was Legend grade anyway, so it couldn’t be bad. Feeling uneasy, Rokan recovered it and hurried toward the lab.
He didn’t even know where the lab was where the ancient emperor’s resurrection ritual was underway, but after the quest triggered, the location was marked, making it easy to find.
“Pass.”
“Pass.”
“Please step onto the magic circle over there.”
However, the arrival point wasn’t the final destination; he had to navigate several maze-like paths and use teleportation magic circles multiple times, which was unusual.
It seemed designed to prevent defense-side personnel from leaking information to others. Though among users, Rokan was the only one on defense.
“As expected, the minimap’s dead.”
Even the minimap and messaging functions were blocked. He hadn’t joined a guild, but guild chat was likely blocked too. There were a few places where all messaging was cut off.
Wearing an amused expression, Rokan first surveyed his surroundings.
“Count Regalia?”
“……”
As he slowly circled to grasp the terrain, someone called out to him. Clearly a knight who had reached Master level.
“Who are you?”
“I’m guard knight Torrenta. Sorry, but Count, your assigned sector is right here.”
He wasn’t a high noble, so he spoke casually, but the mention of guard knight made Rokan feign surprise.
A guard knight served the emperor directly. Did that mean the emperor was here?
He couldn’t be certain, but it was possible.
The ancient emperor’s resurrection—humanity’s long-cherished dream. It would be odd if the emperor wasn’t present at its completion.
“I see. Understood.”
So he didn’t resist and turned around.
Pushing back here could get him more than just kicked out—he might be branded a traitor.
Challenging absolute imperial authority, even a marquess or duke wouldn’t escape unscathed.
Instead, he pulled something from his inventory.
“Take this instead.”
“This is……”
What Rokan pulled out was a crudely made scarecrow.
A consumable crafted via mechanical engineering.
It didn’t require high proficiency, but in a situation like this, it would deliver excellent performance.
“It’s an item with a taunt function. Set it up in low-visibility spots or at entrances, and it’ll help detect intruders.”
“Thank you. I’ll report it to the higher-ups.”
At Rokan’s explanation, Torrenta bowed politely and accepted it.
He wouldn’t install it blindly on faith alone, but a quick check would lead to deployment.
That’s when the ‘Sneaky Scarecrow’ would prove its worth.
Area taunt.
That was the ability of the sneaky scarecrow Rokan had crafted.
It didn’t affect allies and had a time limit, but with only 1 HP, even a glancing blow would destroy it—perfect for early intruder detection.
An area taunt was a terrifying effect that caught even stealthed enemies.
After handing over the scarecrow and settling in, Rokan made further arrangements in his sector.
Intrusion alarms, magic lighthouses that revealed stealth, mechanical engineering traps—they were all part of it.
Once preparations were complete, a boring wait ensued, but he couldn’t afford to relax until the time limit. Even as the enemy, they wouldn’t charge right away; they’d wait until the defenders grew lax at the last moment.
There probably wouldn’t even be two attempts allowed.
Woooong.
‘They’re here?’
After burning about 10 hours that way, with roughly 5 hours left until the ancient emperor’s resurrection, a reaction came from Rokan’s devices.
The signal blared like a conch shell’s wail.
“Enemy!”
Rokan shouted immediately while sharpening his senses. He knew charging out blindly would just draw concentrated fire.
“Kak!”
Soon, signals came from other directions too. Someone’s scream. It seemed like approaches from multiple directions.
‘No choice.’
But he couldn’t rush toward the scream. He didn’t know which was the main force, and he couldn’t block all enemies alone.
So he had no option but to defend his sector.
“Trying to awaken that cursed being? You humans have gone mad!”
Kreherherherheng!
Emerging with a spine-chilling roar was a horde of trolls. Overwhelming brute strength turned blockers into bloody pulp as they charged inward with fury-filled eyes.
“Hmph!”
The soldiers were at least level 270, knights 280 to 290, but they couldn’t easily hold them back. The enemy had a Master level among them.
Seeing the leader slaughtering soldiers and knights alike, Rokan knew what he had to do.
‘Block it.’
He had to stop it. That was why the emperor had deployed him here.
The rear had other Master-level knights and High Masters, but forward defense positions like his also had Masters.
Yet placing only knights and soldiers here meant that much trust in Rokan.
“Krherherherherheng!”
Rokan pulped the brain of one troll lunging with Strike, meeting the mad cry with his own.
Inferior to a true Master’s, but bolstered by Unyielding Will’s debuff resistance, his cry definitely had an effect.
Proof: the soldiers and knights who’d been dropping unilaterally started holding their ground.
“Bombardment!”
But Rokan didn’t rashly go for a duel. He stuck strictly to his defensive position, slaughtering only those who crossed the line.
To make the enemies recognize him. So the Master would target him first.
“A whelp yapping away!”
“Counter!”
Kkaang!
Dodging the troll Master’s downward mace swing, Rokan swiftly countercharged, aiming a lethal blow to split its chest.
But it was a Master after all. It casually yanked the mace from the ground and blocked Rokan’s strike.
In that instant, Rokan’s left hand slashed through empty air. He grabbed something from his inventory.
“Subdue!”
Enemy appearance had triggered his defense battle-related title effects. Berserk alone would let him trade blows evenly, but with unknown enemy numbers and Masters, he couldn’t overextend.
So he took a gamble.
Charrlruk!
“Kut!”
What Rokan used were the Iron Chains Sealing Ruin—and their embedded special skill, Subdue.
The chains seemed to extend on their own, instantly coiling around the troll Master. It swung its mace in panic, but the chains merely veered slightly before relentlessly wrapping its body.
One layer, two layers, five, ten.
They bound it like a mummy, rendering it utterly immobile. True suppression. Mana cost matched the power, but neutralizing a Master-level this easily was a steal.
‘Insane.’
Even Rokan was floored by the absurd effect of instantly neutralizing a Master—not just any, but one.
Legend grade made sense, but no such item had appeared in his past life, at least not in his memory.
No time to gawk. The enemies were swarming toward the neutralized one.
“Armor Break, Frenzy!”
Pajik.
Rokan instantly comboed Armor Break and Frenzy, bashing its skull until the helmet’s durability hit zero and shattered.
“Lethal Strike!”
Pueok!
A bare head was soft as tofu. Without even using Massacre, Rokan easily pulverized the troll Master’s head.
[You have leveled up.]
Level up as a bonus. Thanks to accumulated experience; grabbing Masters wouldn’t guarantee levels anymore.
‘Cooldown 30 minutes……’
Pushing back the enemies, he glanced over: Subdue’s cooldown was 30 minutes.
Likely only usable once per battle under normal circumstances, but for that power, it was short. Another Legend-grade perk?
Swinging the chains alone would pack more than ordinary attack power, but Rokan tossed them back into his inventory mid-air and poured more force into his axe.
His Wrath King Axe was a fully reinforced Unique-grade weapon, level limit 250. Add its power and berserker-exclusive options, and it rivaled top-tier gear for levels 280 to 290.
As if to prove it, Rokan began rampaging like a madman.
‘Too few.’
Even as he cut down the intruders, Rokan couldn’t shake his unease.
Was this side just bait? One Master-level to stop the ancient emperor’s resurrection was far too few. At least two or three per passage would make sense.
‘No choice.’
With no real heavy hitters from the enemy ranks, Rokan bit his lip and turned.
“Summon Clone!”
He left the rear to his clone and headed for another passage.
‘As expected.’
He could only call it luck. Other passages were seeing undead, goblins, and orcs pour in.
As if this were a disputed zone—numbers so vast it was baffling how they’d hidden.
Special event allowances, no doubt. Yet despite at least one or two human Masters holding each passage, some were already fully breached.
Most human Masters had no choice but to cluster around the ritual site.
Glancing back at those unable to move despite allies buckling, Rokan launched himself toward the hardest-pressed direction.
If the enemies pushed deeper, he’d link up with the others, but that would create gaps for more attackers—increasing the risk.
Plus, if two or more passages fully fell, encirclement and annihilation became possible.
“Krherherheng!”
Rokan entered with a mad cry to blunt the enemies’ momentum, but it backfired. Two orc Masters turned toward him.
“Berserk!”
But if that scared him, he wouldn’t be Rokan. Spewing red madness, he charged straight at them.