Chapter 246
Chapter 246
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 246
Chapter Title: Essence of Corruption (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Whether it was thanks to the power of corruption or the support from the corrupted ones that allowed him to grow, in the end, it was all just a process.
It was disappointing, but that didn't mean Odin, once called the King of Genesis, was weak or had poor control.
That was why Rokan felt a slight tension even as he maintained a relaxed demeanor. The skill he'd witnessed back then had been truly overwhelming.
‘But I've changed too.’
Yet he himself had grown stronger than in his previous life.
Even in his past life, he'd been one of the rare few with top-tier titles, known as the SSS-rank King of Violence.
His combat style was similar, but he felt stronger now than he had been when he'd reached High Master back then. He believed this time he could truly crush Odin.
“Come on.”
“Wind God’s Step.”
In an instant, Odin vanished. He circled around Rokan with movement so swift it felt that way.
If Rokan was power, Odin was speed.
He boosted his movement speed with the power of wind, blurring Rokan's vision.
“Gungnir!”
Something burst through the hazy scenery.
Odin's combination skill, Gungnir.
It recreated the legendary spear that pierced through space no matter where the opponent was or how they dodged, flying straight to impale them.
Clang!
But Rokan responded as if he'd known it was coming. He used Strike of Ruin to smack the spearhead aside.
Even though it followed the enemy until it pierced them, there was a blind spot: if it received enough impact beyond a certain level, it counted as having reached its target.
Thanks to that, the spear kissed the ground instead of Rokan's neck, forcing Odin to launch the next attack.
“Absolute Severing Blade!”
To beat Rokan, the best initial plan had been to keep dragging out time as before.
But it didn't feel like that was possible anymore.
No matter how much speed was Odin's specialty, considering Rokan's instantaneous charge ability, it was hard to imagine he could keep running forever.
That was why he went for broke.
Absolute Severing Blade.
Odin's master skill that could cleave a weaker opponent in a single strike.
In his past life, it had been that very technique that severed his neck at the end.
But even against a stronger foe, its power didn't vanish.
The trait of maintaining enhanced attack power until it killed the opponent, combined with Odin's control, turned it into a sustained threat against Rokan.
Clang!
Even though his sword and battle axe clashed properly, the impact was greater than when Thor had attacked.
Rokan was pushed back, but Odin stepped on the power of wind and leaped in again.
“Dance of Lightning and Wind!”
It was a kind of flurry skill.
Just as Rokan had created Mad Slaughter based on flurries, Odin had crafted a combination skill using the powers of wind and lightning.
Crackle!
Unlike Mad Slaughter, which prioritized damage per hit, Dance of Lightning and Wind aimed for rapid flurries.
In just a few breaths, dozens of sword strikes slashed through the air, targeting Rokan's body.
Not just his neck and heart, but his arms and legs too, trying to reduce his mobility and combat power.
A combination skill alone couldn't achieve that, but with Absolute Severing Blade's power added, it might be possible.
Though it was nothing more than Odin's hopeful delusion.
“Playing tricks.”
Odin might think it was a surprise attack, but the reality was different. Piercing through the storm's vision-obscuring power, Rokan had been tracking every single one of his movements.
Eyes that Pierced All Creation.
With those, fooling Rokan's eyes was impossible.
“Repel!”
What Rokan used was the creation skill Repel. It enhanced the rebound force of a guard, pushing back the opponent and their attack in a knockback move.
Rokan blocked vital spots with his battle axe, watching Odin's attacks, then slipped it into a brief opening.
Thud!
“Guh!”
That shattered Odin's skill.
The heavy blow, too much to follow up with continuous swings, sent his body floating away, auto-cancelling the skill.
“Curse of Weakness!”
At that moment, something appeared in midair.
Loki, who had hidden since the fight began, swung his twin daggers and unleashed a curse on Rokan.
[Curse of Weakness clings to the weapon.]
[Weapon durability drain increases.]
[The Sealed Gale Chain Axe resists Curse of Weakness.]
[No effect.]
“What the—?”
Thwack!
But it was futile. It was unexpected that he'd targeted the weapon instead of Rokan himself, but that was only possible because he didn't know what Rokan's weapon was.
Did he not realize it hadn't worked? Instead of attacking Rokan, Loki persistently targeted the battle axe even as he collapsed.
For some reason, he was risking his life to shave down its durability with weapon breaking.
“God of the Hammer!”
Then Thor joined in. The guy who'd been watching warily after being overpowered by his own boasted strength activated a combination skill and charged.
Armed with a skill that leveraged the dwarf race's unique strength and bonuses for specific weapons, he clashed with Rokan once more.
Boom!
The collision of the two massive weapons shook the ground.
But this time, Thor didn't go rolling across the floor.
Thanks to the combination skill that greatly boosted his close combat power, he held his own despite being slightly pushed back.
“Pinpoint Strike!”
The next skill he activated. It wasn't a combination skill or a standard combat one.
It was a blacksmith skill.
The skill that allowed continuous strikes on a single point when forging weapons or armor clung to Thor's hammer.
Clang! Clang! Cling! Cling.
Followed by a barrage of attacks.
Thor didn't target Rokan either. His aim was Rokan's weapon, the Sealed Gale Chain Battle Axe.
‘What are they up to?’
The more they clashed, the more damage Thor took, but it was still suspicious. Even if they broke the weapon, the iron chains sealing Ruin wouldn't be destroyed.
‘There's something there.’
It seemed unlikely they didn't know that.
So did they really know some secret hidden within this battle axe?
Could he erase the last question mark on the quest to find traces of the Gale by uncovering it?
“Weapon Break.”
Crack!
“...!”
Rokan countered by infusing weapon destruction power. If they wanted to play that game, he'd oblige.
He even actively met their attacks, giving them what they wanted.
“Crazy bastard!”
But what shattered first was Thor's hammer. It was undoubtedly at least Unique grade, a powerful weapon, but it wasn't on the same level.
“Focus!”
Then Odin intervened. The injured Loki assisted.
The three relentlessly targeted the battle axe, spamming skills, while Rokan played along moderately, waiting for an opening.
Whoosh. Boom!
At some point, he shook them off and switched weapons.
He pulled out Earth King’s Stamp and slammed it into the ground.
The earth rippled and churned. That single blow forced them belly-up onto the ground.
“No more time to play!”
Loki and Thor's health bars hit zero in an instant. They turned into cold corpses.
As he said, the duration of Gale Incarnation was running out.
“Severing Strike!”
“Wind God’s Step!”
Rokan tried to at least break one of Odin's legs before attempting to talk, but the guy swiftly leaped away. He put distance between them and admitted his defeat.
“Damn it, we were so close...”
Expressing a view different from Rokan's thoughts, he clicked his tongue and fled.
“Where do you think you're going!”
Boom boom boom!
Wherever Rokan's hand axes embedded, fierce explosions erupted as if struck by magic.
But Odin deflected them with wind manipulation skills. Dodging them all, he kept running.
“...!”
His escape route was odd, though.
He was fleeing from Rokan, sure, but ahead of him stood the World Tree, rampaging wildly.
“Stairway of Wind!”
Tap tap tap.
He even activated a skill to leap into the sky.
Toward the World Tree.
What the hell was he doing? It didn't take long to find out.
Pluck.
Odin, approaching the Fruit of Corruption, did something and plucked it off.
“What...!”
At that moment, the rampaging World Tree fell silent.
Losing its power source, it stopped in place and began spewing out all the life force it had absorbed.
[You are exposed to Concentrated Power of Life.]
[Health rapidly recovers.]
Thanks to that, Rokan's health filled up quickly.
But in turn, the World Tree weakened.
Losing all the energy gathered in the Fruit of Corruption, the wall of Grand Master shattered.
From a World Tree 'with promising potential' to mere lumber from a World Tree.
Its power and stature were diminished.
It took root there and fell dormant.
“Ahh...!”
Only then did the elves find peace. Tears streaming, they collapsed in place.
The World Tree was no longer a World Tree, but it still held tremendous life force. If they nurtured and protected it well, it could bloom into a World Tree's power again someday.
That alone was more than enough to be grateful for.
“I lost the battle, but in the end, it's my victory, Rokan.”
“...”
In the meantime, Odin spat venomous words at Rokan.
But from Rokan's perspective, it sounded like incomprehensible nonsense.
From their side, wasn't the goal to protect the Fruit of Corruption, strengthen it further, and drag the world into ruin?
What bullshit was this? As Rokan stared at him with such eyes, Odin smirked like a villain and laid out his plan.
“This is just a step in the process. Now true ruin will come. That power of corruption will be the key to awakening ‘him.’”
“What nonsense is this?”
Rokan feigned ignorance, but his heart sank. He hurriedly unleashed a barrage to subdue him.
If, as he said, the Fruit of Corruption was just another material, and using it completed the ancient incantation Armageddon, releasing ‘that forgotten entity’ into the world...
No doubt it would be far stronger than the World Tree. Stronger even than an Orc Lord or Troll Lord gaining divinity.
Perhaps a powerhouse that could rival them all, like the Lion King.
He had to snatch the Fruit of Corruption somehow.
“Wing Mode!”
“Wind God’s Step!”
Rokan closed in quickly, but it was no use. Even without wings, no one outsped him when he got serious.
Determined to escape, he was hard for Rokan to catch.
Moreover, the power of corruption leaking from the Fruit seeped into him, letting him run beyond his limits.
“Damn it, Kai! Legendary Rider!”
“Kyit!”
Unable to help it, Rokan summoned Kai too.
The massive Great Peng blocked Odin's path.
“Kiyiiiiit!”
Boom crash boom.
Right then, Kai's body, blocking Odin, shook violently.
An attack from the corrupted priests!
They'd stepped up to rescue Odin.
“You damned bastards!”
Enraged, Rokan rampaged. But chasing Odin, now in their arms, was impossible.
They grabbed at his ankles, sacrificing their lives, and the duration of Gale Incarnation was nearly up.
“Damn it!”
In the end, with one minute left on Gale Incarnation, Rokan turned Kai around.
And one hour later, a shocking global announcement appeared.