Chapter 234
Chapter 234
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 234
Chapter Title: Lion King (4)
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There was a saying that the Lion King Gaokan's true power came from his 'gear.'
That was why rumors often circulated that collecting all of the Lion King's sacred treasures would make one the strongest. And in truth, that was exactly what Rokan had felt while gathering them himself.
Even in their 'sealed' state, they boasted performance superior to any other items.
Sure, there were pieces of gear that could compete purely on defense, but when factoring in all the options—plus the special options unique to the Lion King series—it was clear which was superior.
"Insane."
But Rokan realized his thinking was completely off-base.
The golden lion-shaped gear Gaokan wore was undoubtedly powerful, but what had allowed him to surpass his limits was a single skill.
Weapon Soul Awakening.
That ability to draw forth the power of the 'story' embedded in his gear—that was the true force that had made Gaokan the Lion King.
"Cheating. Total cheating."
A 1-vs-3 battle. With the other orcs, trolls, and goblins tied up by the Mithril Golem that Rokan still hadn't reached, Gaokan utterly dominated a fight where no one else could even intervene.
Surrounded by a golden radiance, he crushed even the 'divine artifacts' wielded by the orc, troll, and goblin Grand Masters.
The golden light he emitted, combined with his signature lion-shaped armor, made him worthy of the title 'Golden Lion' without question.
'So that's how it is...'
A might that was hard to believe even seeing it with his own eyes.
Though the weapon he wielded was different, Rokan shuddered with thrilling exhilaration rising from the tip of his tailbone as he confirmed control abilities that were in no way inferior to his own.
'Just you wait.'
The Lion King's sacred treasures. And Weapon Soul Awakening.
He possessed both.
Though Weapon Soul Awakening was a High Master-restricted skill that he had only learned and not yet mastered, if he could wield it properly—
And if he obtained the final piece of the sealed Lion King gear, the 'boots,' and broke the seal, then he too could claim the Lion King's power.
Of course, it would grant different strengths and styles depending on the user, but he was Rokan. The SSS-rank pinnacle of users, the King of Violence, renowned for his supreme control and combat prowess.
If he obtained the same power—if he simply reached the Grand Master realm—he was confident he could surpass the Lion King.
And what if he added Gale Incarnation on top? If he claimed the power of 'Gale' as well?
Just imagining it made his jaw drop. A silly laugh escaped his lips.
"Heh heh, Gale Incarnation!"
But he wasn't just spectating the fight. While recording it all with the video capture function, he stayed true to his own role.
He unleashed the Master skill he'd been saving, Gale Incarnation, proving his own prowess.
He plunged deeper into the enemy lines than even the Lion Legion's top High Masters.
"Krraaaaaah!"
Roaring with golden madness, he began facing off alone against the elite forces of the orc, troll, and goblin alliance.
"We can't fall behind either!"
"You gonna let the newbie snatch all the good stuff? Let's go!"
At this point, supporting was the Lion Legion's job.
As the strongest unit following the Lion King's advance ravaged the enemy lines, the dwarves and gnomes fought fiercely too. They poured out every ounce of strength they had, charging in to end the battle here and now.
"Lion Flame Wave Slash!"
But their efforts seemed laughable compared to the Lion King's power.
Each strike could split mountains and dry up seas—clichéd expressions made reality.
The Orc Lord and Troll Lord resisted using their divine artifacts and the goblin high priest's potent buffs, but all they managed was to offset and deflect the force.
Whether Weapon Soul Awakening had a time limit like Berserk, he didn't know, but at this rate, they would fall first.
"Damn it! Spirit Descent Ritual! Soul Mutation!"
They had stepped forward confidently, but faced with the overwhelming gap in power, the enemy resorted to tricks.
Realizing they couldn't face the Lion King directly, the goblin high priest made the first move.
"Grraaaargh!"
In that instant, the orcs, trolls, and goblins around them began to mutate.
They forcibly crammed the souls of transcendent beings with immense power into their bodies, then warped those souls.
Even bodies of High Master caliber struggled to contain the transcendent souls fully, so they twisted them into a rampage.
"What the hell is this now?"
A sudden surge in spiritual power.
Seeing them charge with madness even as their flesh crumbled, even the Lion King couldn't ignore them outright.
Some couldn't endure and exploded without doing anything, but those who somehow held on gained Grand Master-level power, if only for a moment.
It was one-use only, liable to collapse, burst, or melt away at any second, but the Lion King now faced a simultaneous strike from dozens of pseudo-Grand Masters.
The Lion King's expression hardened.
"Golden Lion's soul, come to me!"
But retreat was the last thing on his mind.
Not arrogance—confidence.
He pulled out his hidden trump card, reinforcing himself once more.
Woooooong!
In that moment, the golden souls inherent in the Golden Lion set surged toward him, coalescing at his chest before erupting in a fierce explosion.
'...Final Fusion.'
Golden Lion Incarnation!
Gaokan's eyes themselves now blazed with golden light—he had become the Golden Lion incarnate.
It was like watching a transforming mecha robot reach its ultimate evolution.
"Kwaaaang!"
Everything touched by that radiance wailed.
Corrupted power melted away entirely, and even the mutated souls sloughed off like sludge.
For those who had barely endured until now, only despair remained.
"Huff, retreat!"
"All forces, retreat!"
"Block him!"
It took less than a few minutes for the fake Grand Masters—sacrificed by the goblin high priest from the three races' elites—to be reduced to rags.
Truly overwhelming force.
"Lion Frenzy Dance!"
But even for him, chasing down the three who had decided to flee outright was impossible.
The Orc Lord, Troll Lord, and goblin high priest had turned tail the instant they saw the Lion King's power amplify to absurd levels.
He belatedly hurled bursts of golden aura, but killing them was out of reach.
He confirmed a few hits landing, but at the same time, they used spatial translocation and vanished somewhere.
"Tch, they got away?"
Having single-handedly crushed the enemy leadership and reduced the area to ruins, the Lion King stood still, clicking his tongue in disappointment.
Without a word, the Lion Legion gathered around him first, forming a guard.
"Then I'm leaving the rear to you. Urgyagyagyagya!"
Poof.
With safety confirmed, the Lion King's transformation ended. He collapsed flat on the spot, letting out a pathetic groan as agony wracked his body.
'Figures the aftereffects are severe.'
Great power came with great backlash, especially for skills that temporarily granted transcendent might.
Apparently the same for Weapon Soul Awakening—the Lion King lost his combat ability in an instant. But the enemy's strongest forces were already melting away, and the Lion Legion stood firm around him.
The tide of battle had shifted irreversibly.
And it wasn't just the Lion Legion—Rokan was here too.
"Wheel Wind!"
The remaining stragglers were nothing but prime experience fodder for Rokan.
* * *
A great victory.
The human, dwarf, and gnome alliance utterly crushed the orc, troll, and goblin alliance.
They had mercilessly sacrificed their own as obstacles to cover their escape, preventing total annihilation, but at least a third of the forces that had clashed in the major battle were reduced to high souls and gone.
In terms of actual combat power, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say their forces had been halved or less.
"How was it?"
"...Manageable, sir."
As the support units cleaned up the battlefield and they returned to base for rest, Gaokan came to Rokan personally.
His muscle pain seemed gone, his movements natural again, but fatigue and exhaustion were unavoidable—his smiling face looked drained.
Most likely, Weapon Soul Awakening's aftereffects would prevent reuse for a few days.
"Haha, yeah. You adapted pretty well. That Master skill especially left an impression—truly worthy of a Master Rage!"
"What now, then?"
Watching Gaokan laugh and chat like it was all a joke, Rokan cut straight to it without beating around the bush.
What comes next?
The enemy leaders had survived, but could they really turn the tables? All they'd managed was to flee...
If it were him, he'd use the Lion Legion to control the pace, push forward, then strike the enemy command the moment cooldowns ended to finish the war.
"Who knows? It'll work out somehow."
But Gaokan just smiled.
No way to tell if he truly had no plan or if he was hiding his thoughts.
"Well, does it matter? If the war ends too quick, you won't get to show off more."
'Bell of Truth, summon.'
So Rokan invoked the title Truth Seer for the first time in ages. He summoned the Bell of Truth to discern truth from lies and tested him.
[Truth]
'...What the hell is this guy?'
The result: Gaokan really had no plan. It was absurd, but Rokan understood too.
No rivals left.
For battle maniacs like him, that was pretty damn depressing in its own way.
"Still, better hurry. You never know what cornered rats will do."
But giving the enemy too much leeway was unwise. At least Rokan knew what insane move they'd pull next.
'Black Dragon Karphago.'
The reason orcs, trolls, goblins, and undead banded together as the 'Black Dragon Legion.' It stemmed from an event in this era.
The black dragon's emergence, indifferent to worldly affairs. Its indiscriminate attacks on the human, dwarf, gnome, and elf alliance.
No clue how they'd lured it, but their counterattack with the black dragon was imminent.
Remembering the records of that event—which nearly dragged the world to ruin with an unimaginable choice—Rokan's face darkened.
'Guess I need to survive first.'
He knew the Lion King would ultimately win, but humans would suffer devastating losses in the process.
Meaning he himself might not witness history's end before dying.
Watching Gaokan's serene smile, Rokan recalled that while in the past, instant resurrection was impossible—requiring special revival quests—and began devising his own countermeasures.
And about a month later, a black shadow fell over the world.