Chapter 244
Chapter 244
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 244
Chapter Title: Essence of Corruption (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Death Drain's effect absorbs the unstable power of death.]
[Unstable dark magic power accumulates in the user's body.]
[The Chains that Seal Ruin suppress the energy of corruption.]
[Title: Corruption Hunter's effect reduces damage from corrupted power.]
[Title: Death Subjugator's effect on dark magic power...]
“……”
The accumulation of dark magic power in his body was something he had been worried about. For Rokan, accepting the effects of Death Drain without the World Tree's blessing was a gamble in itself.
But no matter how much he thought about it, Death Drain alone wouldn't cut it, so he took the plunge.
And the results were astonishing. Following the Chains that Seal Ruin, the effects of the titles he had accumulated over time triggered one after another, managing the dark magic power flooding into his body like it was about to burst.
[Dark Resistance has increased by 0.1%.]
[Dark Resistance has increased by 0.1%.]
[Dark Resistance has increased by 0.1%...]
It didn't stop there—it even boosted Rokan's Dark Resistance.
His body, turned into a battlefield of massive dark magic power clashing against various resisting energies, was undergoing a constitutional change.
Thanks to that, Dark Resistance—the hardest to raise alongside Holy and Poison attributes—began to climb steeply.
‘Ugh, this is no joke.’
He could have endured it more easily with Berserk or Incarnation of Storm.
But Rokan endured the power and pain with his own body alone.
Using either one might expand his vessel and prevent this resistance boost, and with no idea how long he'd need to maintain Death Drain, committing to a time-limited skill felt too risky.
“What a pain.”
Meanwhile, the World Tree's attacks continued.
Branches stabbed at him, leaves flew like shuriken, keeping him on his toes, but each hit lacked real power, making it bearable.
His large battle axe covered most of his body, and the manipulable Chains that Seal Ruin protected his vitals, which helped immensely.
Damage accumulated gradually, but the energy absorbed via Death Drain replenished not just mana but life force too, letting him hold on.
“Argh!”
“Dodge! Spread out and move!”
The problem was there was no guarantee time was on Rokan's side.
The elves, who had held strong at first, began tiring one by one.
No deaths yet, but injuries were mounting. If they got absorbed as nutrients or all retreated, leaving him alone, holding out would be doubtful.
‘A way... Hold on.’
Amid this precarious standoff, an idea suddenly struck Rokan.
Maybe he wasn't using his power right.
“Subjugate!”
Keeping Death Drain active just in case, Rokan manipulated the chains.
Mimicking the skill he used with just the Chains that Seal Ruin before combining them with his weapon, he wrapped them around the Fruit of Corruption.
[The Chains that Seal Ruin seal the power of corruption.]
“Bingo!”
That was it. He'd inferred they were the same from the recurring keywords ‘corruption’ and ‘ruin’.
‘Ruin’ stemmed from corruption, and since the Chains that Seal Ruin had a history of sealing something born of corruption, their sealing power should work—and it did.
[Detecting power of corruption.]
[Approximately 3 minutes required for complete seal of corruption power.]
[Cannot use skills utilizing Chains that Seal Ruin while sealing corruption power.]
The Chains that Seal Ruin began sealing the Fruit of Corruption. In turn, the World Tree changed.
[The energy of corruption dominating the World Tree has temporarily dormant.]
[Some power supplying the World Tree has vanished.]
[The World Tree has entered temporary sleep state.]
[Caution: Attacking may awaken it again.]
The World Tree's silence.
For Rokan, who needed to endure just 3 minutes, it was incredibly sweet news. Hold out for 3 minutes, and it was game over—for the tree.
The elves, more sensitive to the World Tree's changes than anyone, noticed its slumber immediately and avoided even accidental attack motions.
‘Now for the real issue.’
With victory and his goal in sight, Rokan pondered what came next. After suppressing the corruption, then what?
Should he just watch the elves take the World Tree?
Elves were near-pacifists, but half-elves were different.
If they used the World Tree for something nefarious, other races—including the Black Dragon Legion and Golden Lion factions—couldn't stop them easily.
So Rokan racked his brain for a way to destroy the World Tree too, but nothing came easily.
About a minute passed. With the seal at roughly one-third, trouble hit.
“Arrow Rain!”
“……!”
“Block it!”
Someone unleashed a barrage of arrows at the sleeping World Tree.
Dozens of arrows filled the sky at once, startling the anxiously watching elves into response.
Shooting down incoming arrows with arrows.
Despite the powerful force minimizing wind effects and unpredictable trajectories, they pulled off the impossible with godlike archery.
But the attacks weren't just one volley.
“Lightning Spear!”
“Giant's Hammer!”
“Hunter God's Arrow!”
Dozens of attacks of varied attributes and types rained down on the World Tree.
Elves and high elves squeezed out skills, but after battling the World Tree, they'd exhausted their master skills. They lacked the power to block a mass volley from dozens at master level or above.
Boom boom boom!
The powerful strikes burst parts of the World Tree's bark. Transparent sap flowed like blood, enraging it.
Kroooaaar!
“You damn bastards!”
The World Tree waking was fine. The real issue: they hit Rokan too.
The Lion King's Relics' defense and options let him tank it, but the concentrated barrage shattered his focus.
Crackle crackle!
Just a slight, tiny lapse in power, but the awakening World Tree reacted violently. The seal broke.
[The World Tree awakens.]
[The corrupted power breaks free from the seal.]
“Back to positions!”
That wasn't all. As the World Tree's seal shattered, their full assault began.
Some targeted the World Tree, others the elves.
“Kehehehehe!”
Not one race, but a multi-racial alliance. A team, crew, or guild.
Rokan knew their identity better than anyone.
“We meet like this after all.”
Confirming their faces, Rokan didn't rage—instead, he laughed heartily, truly relieved.
He was glad to see them. Very glad.
“Ragnarok.”
Their identity: Ragnarok.
Led by Odin—‘King of Genesis’ in his past life, now ‘of Lightning’—they were Rokan's sworn enemies.
They'd targeted him at this perfect timing.
To stop the World Tree's seal. To bring ruin to the world.
“You know, I've been agonizing over this.”
The unleashed World Tree rampaged. It hounded Rokan obsessively while thrusting roots like fangs at the allied elves.
It did the same to the attacking Ragnarok.
With no distinction between friend and foe, the World Tree vented on all living things.
“Revenge from my past life? But in ‘this timeline,’ it hasn't happened yet. And I didn't know why you excluded me.”
Boom boom boom!
Yet Rokan fended them off leisurely, eyes fixed on Odin and Ragnarok.
Right hand lightly swung the battle axe, left wrapped the Chains that Seal Ruin for jab-like root swats—the World Tree even hesitated, its attacks slowing.
“Die!”
“It won't go your way!”
But Ragnarok doggedly attacked Rokan.
Basic skills, generated combo skills, combo skills, master skills.
They pooled every ounce of power into a focused barrage on Rokan.
Kabuuum!
A massive explosion startled even the World Tree into retracting branches.
The space—including part of the World Tree—exploded, annihilating everything inside.
Everything but Rokan.
“But now that you've shown up, no more agonizing.”
Incarnation of Storm. Their attacks to counter it, but Rokan was a step faster.
In giant god form, Rokan haughtily looked down on them.
Kyaaaaak!
The World Tree seemed to rage more at the sight, but it was gone from Rokan's mind.
Ragnarok. And Odin.
He welcomed them with joyful eyes, like reuniting with old friends.
Back to the King of Violence of old.
“Krraaaahaha!”
Chilling terror swept them. The bone-chilling roar shook the ground—or their legs—sapping their strength instantly.
Even hard-earned fear immunity gear meant nothing. Rokan's title nullified it.
In that moment, Rokan fully detached from the World Tree. Instead of sealing it, he'd smash Ragnarok.
“Wing Mode.”
Twing!
The fluttering cloak fixed into wings, enabling silent lightspeed movement.
“Red Meteor.”
Red Meteor normally gained power from height and vertical drop.
But Storm Wings' speed rendered that moot.
Descending at about 15 degrees, it became an incomparably fast and powerful meteor.
Kabuuum!
To the arrogant Ragnarok—who named themselves after gods—he delivered divine punishment-like destruction.
“Crazy!”
“Run!”
“We have to stall!”
Rokan crushed three foes in one go, but they stayed cool-headed.
Rather than rage at their comrades' crushing, they pulled back distance to ‘strategize’ against him.
To exploit berserk skills' weakness: duration and backlash. Drain his power, buy time.
“A solid plan.”
Varied tactics too.
Knowing past attempts had failed, they prepared defense, evasion, and harassment thoroughly.
Not ‘try everything,’ but complementary wheel tactics.
Easily readable.
“A thorough way to get beat.”
But they'd picked the wrong opponent.