Chapter 203
Chapter 203
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Great Library (3)
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-Searching with keyword: Lion King.
-Search restricted by keyword. S-rank Archive Pass confirmed. Proceeding with search.
-Search complete.
-Payment required to view search results.
-127 Gold required to view all search records. How much would you like to pay?
"Goddamn capitalism."
Once the search results loaded, the archive manager muttered something unexpected.
Having to pay just to see the search results—and a whopping sum exceeding 100 Gold at that.
Rokan knew it was coming, but it still stung. He pulled 127 Gold from his inventory and paid it all, and soon the results appeared on screen.
"Bring them all."
-Book delivery service requested.
-Book delivery service available only for books in Zone 2. Proceed anyway?
-Total cost: 38 Gold.
"Here, take it and scram."
He knew grumbling at the magical lifeform was pointless, but Rokan tossed the Gold over anyway. Better to solve it with money than hunt them down one by one.
Moments later, a towering stack of books was delivered to him.
"Whew, time to read."
Over a hundred volumes at a glance.
Even that was limited because info on the Lion King was scarce; searching for widely known topics would've meant thousands.
Letting out a deep sigh, Rokan spread out on the spot and began reading.
[Acquired general skill 'Speed Reading.']
He was confident in plain reading, but without the Speed Reading skill he picked up midway—and without its level rising steadily—he might've collapsed with spinning eyes.
Later, he even snagged the Magic-grade title 'Bookworm,' giving him extra momentum.
A mere Magic-grade title, but in his current state, its effects rivaled Rare-grade.
Thanks to reduced eye strain and faster reading, Rokan managed to conquer the mountain of books.
"Damn, another bust."
And got nothing.
The books from Zone 2, accessible via his marquis title, had some food for thought, but not enough for solid hints.
Hints about Lion King relics he'd already found barely counted as gains.
Over ten hours gone, but instead of resting, Rokan dusted himself off and stood.
Shaking off his foggy mind, he headed to Zone 1, then S Zone again.
Few books matched the searches across both: about thirteen total.
Gathering them cleared his head somewhat, letting him focus and dive back in.
"This is..."
And finally, he found it. A hint to the Lion King relic's possible location.
"Tricky."
But no easy spot. It was Black Dragon Legion territory.
Relatively close to the warzone, but far from simple. He'd have to push back multiple Black Dragon Legion outposts to reach it—and worst of all...
"If luck's bad, I'll have to fight the gnomes too?"
That was why the gnomes allied with dwarves, waging mad war.
Gnomes' racial quest: Discovery and Reconstruction of the Ancient City.
It tied closely to the sealed Lion King relic.
According to the book, when the ancient city fell, gnomes—cut off from its power source—used the Lion King's relic as a temporary one.
Meaning one of the two remaining relics was likely inside the ancient city the gnomes sought, a key resource for their reconstruction.
If Rokan tried taking it, how would the gnomes react? Unless he slipped in first and grabbed it unnoticed, they'd fight to the death.
The key was how much the gnomes knew about the city and their preparations.
Did they know the relic was their temp power source? Had they prepped a replacement?
"At least they're not moving till users find it..."
Silver lining: per the quest, gnome NPCs wouldn't budge until user gnomes uncovered the buried city.
The flip side: users pulled off such feats regardless of level.
"Guess that's it for this."
Sorting his thoughts, Rokan stood immediately. He'd mined all Lion King info available; time to return to the battlefield.
"Skill books... yeah, those."
First, though, snag those two skill books.
All skill books here had class restrictions lifted.
Even types that never dropped from normal hunts—if he picked right, massive power-up.
So Rokan searched his planned ones first, then scoured the archives diligently.
[Checked out 2 books total.]
[Approval complete.]
[Ownership of the books transferred.]
In the end, he spent more time hunting skill books than reading Lion King info. Five whole days.
But the skills were worth it.
[Time Regression]
Rewinds time to restore body to peak condition.
-Reverts all personal states to a designated prior time.
-Caution: May lead to worse situations depending on usage timing.
-Use restriction: Master level or higher
[Weapon Soul Awakening]
Draws forth the power of a bound item's tale.
-Usable only on relics steeped in story.
-Unleashes the hidden special power of the relic's tale.
-Use restriction: High Master level or higher
Both skills strayed from Berserker norms.
Finding them was pure stacked luck.
Their curt descriptions meant Rokan might've overlooked them without prior knowledge.
Past-life memories made it possible.
Other hidden-class users wielded them, their wild effects memorable.
"Regression time set: 30 minutes ago."
Exiting the Great Library, Rokan mastered both skills right away.
Weapon Soul Awakening was High Master-only, unusable yet, but learnable.
He set Time Regression first.
Must preset rewind time.
If flexible on the fly, its utility would be insane.
A control-savvy speed melee user could toy with anyone.
[Time Regression timer set. Reverts to 30 minutes prior on use.]
[Rewind time re-settable in 1 hour.]
Rokan maxed it at 30 minutes. Simple reason: reclaim his strongest power.
"Close call."
Use post-Fury Incarnation full burn, and it snaps back mid-use. But trigger after moderate exertion, and it resets Fury Incarnation cooldown-free.
Thus, Time Regression could double Fury Incarnation duration or split uses.
What weapon could top that? Eyes gleaming coldly, Rokan headed back to battle.
"Report: Current battlefield status..."
Back at Hushkan Castle, pre-waiting Masters and High Masters organized reinforcements.
Rokan's traitors—high-loyalty ones and fence-sitters—were cannon fodder, shoved frontline.
Prove loyalty with life, or else.
Survive, maybe mercy; die, oh well.
Traitors anyway; Rokan had no pity.
He ordered them vanguard, then got the sitrep.
"Fiercer than expected."
Half-elves silent, humans barricaded, but dwarves and gnomes pressed hard. Facing 2-vs-4, they threw troops like blood foes, grinding local battles to expand turf.
'Using their kids.'
Seemed like land greed.
Like the human emperor overreaching on Black Dragon Legion bases.
But Rokan knew better. Both racial quests tied to Black Dragon Legion lands.
Gnomes: ancient city discovery/rebuild.
Dwarves: special ores unique to Black Dragon Legion for ultimate weapons.
Desperate stakes. Even sans human/half-elf aid, push to goal alone.
Black Dragon Legion races wouldn't want all-out war yet—could work.
'Overextended, but... momentum's strong.'
More precisely, their reckless charge cowed the Black Dragon Legion.
Lost forward bases hurt, but remnants shouldn't buckle to two races.
Just rattled by the bold pushes and constant fights.
Dwarves or gnomes: at best, one Black Dragon Legion race's power. Once gauged, fierce resistance/counterattack likely.
'Move the half-elves first.'
That's why Rokan held back forces.
One human couldn't shatter them.
Highest individual combat power, best user quantity/quality: half-elves joining was the true path to victory.
"If they won't budge, force 'em."
Grasping it all, Rokan bared white teeth in a grin.
His mind brewed a plan to make half-elves 'pissed off' enough to charge in themselves.