Chapter 283
Chapter 283
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 283
Chapter Title: On the Ground (2)
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The opening ceremony gathering ended in a rather awkward atmosphere.
It wrapped up because the freshmen and the returning student master, who had been bickering, decided to settle it with a round two later.
Of course, with an entertaining spectacle to watch, the onlookers were thrilled—some even placed bets—but the problem was how it subtly revealed everyone's hands, splitting them into two factions.
Heard later that the freshmen and the returning master each led their own third rounds, so the official drinking session ended after the second. They didn't even bother with the traditional street food cart afterparty. Instead, they showed off their wealth by moving to a decent pub.
Of course, Young-min couldn't join Chan-eop for a separate session after seeing off the professors, but he said the mood was pretty tense.
Especially for the losing side—they'd have a hard time getting around campus.
"Interesting."
A faint smile crept across his face.
The next day, hearing the story, Young-min grinned.
From his perspective, it didn't matter how that childish duel turned out—he could use it to his advantage.
"Kyarus got a sacred relic..."
Recalling the info Kyarus had let slip, Rokan's eyes blazed.
Hadn't he already clashed with the guy once and tasted a sort of humiliation? After reaching High Master and awakening True Void to take down even Grand Masters, plus shifting focus to the heavens over the ground, revenge hadn't crossed his mind. But this changed things.
What a troll master with a "sacred relic" would do was obvious.
War.
A new shift was coming to the ground's balance, stuck in an unspoken truce.
And as the human emperor, Rokan couldn't just sit by.
"If he's already got the sacred relic, snatching it before he adapts or killing him outright could work..."
But that felt like a waste. A rare strong opponent—why dispatch him so easily?
Kyarus's combat prowess back then was terrifying even without a relic. But things were different now.
New skills acquired, hellish training under Lion King Gaokan...
He'd prepared brutally against archers too. Even if Kyarus hit true Grand Master level, Rokan was confident he could win.
And he wanted to test that confidence.
"Need to stomp him once before heading back to the heavens."
The ground had become a fine gold supplier for Rokan.
Massive gold flowed in passively—perfect for lavish spending in the heavens without coin worries. He needed stable territories down here.
Beauty potions and the gold he'd just collected meant he'd rarely lack funds, but heading straight to the heavens after slaying a titan? It irked him that some dared underestimate him.
Even troll player guilds like that Divine Archer crew were trash-talking him.
You can badmouth royalty behind their back, but hearing it? No way he'd let it slide.
'What was that guy's name again?'
Rokan quickly devised a plan in his head, recalling the ID of the junior returning student—a master-level player.
Chan-eop had no trouble digging it up since he hadn't hidden it, and being human made summoning him easy.
"This'll do."
Recalling the name, Rokan summoned the prime minister right away. To avoid issues with showing his face, he issued the quest under the former emperor's name.
Right before the duel time, no less.
A time-limited quest sending him elsewhere—virtual imprisonment. No one short of Rokan's caliber could make it back in time.
Skip the quest for the duel? He'd land in hot water.
Even at master level, defying a quest from the prime minister himself? Unthinkable.
Unless he pulled a previous Rokan-level feat in wartime, making the prime minister bow first.
"Shall we go?"
And with juicy rewards attached, he'd grit his teeth through one humiliation to complete it.
"Polymorph."
Confirming the prime minister issued the quest personally, Rokan transformed into him.
He headed to the duel spot in his stead.
The guy might message from reality to cancel, but he'd get a baffled reply.
Like, "I'm already here—what's that about?"
Thus, Rokan stood at the duel site in his place.
'Shallow.'
The spot was the human-troll border.
Truce meant it was just a disputed zone—no soldiers intervening.
Only low-level mobs could interfere, and even they were too weak.
The freshman exploited that.
'Pathetic show of force.'
To intimidate, he'd brought a horde of guildmates—officially for mob cleanup and spectating. Obvious ploy. All masters mismatched for local hunt levels.
Rokan's side? Solo.
The human berserker knew dragging in guildmates would disadvantage his outnumbered elites—could spark guild war or massacre.
Judging results? Just record video.
'Not dumb.'
Rokan approved the call. Bring guildies and risk guild war if things went south.
If opponents played dirty, enemy spectators wouldn't survive anyway.
"Oh, not chickening out?"
Rokan, polymorphed and chest puffed, prompted a sneer as the freshman stepped forward.
Troll spectators' protruding fangs looked ridiculous, arms crossed, strutting.
"Let's start?"
To avoid voice giveaway, Rokan kept it short.
Deepened voice, dove straight in.
"Pfft, gravelly voice to scare who? Oh, right—school kids are watching this form. Cool with that?"
Not even masters—barely experts, with a few peers and seniors tagging along.
One to smash anyway—no issue.
Rokan shrugged; the guy's eyes sharpened.
Felt dissed as a famed Divine Archer guild troll? Nocked arrow, declared start.
"Here we go."
Pababat.
Confident, but no yielding first strike.
Main class: hunter. Better at range—unleashed arrows without delay.
Ddatang!
Futile.
Full-power shots, not probes—Rokan deflected all without budging.
"Summon Baby Dino, Ice Trap, Slow Arrow!"
Frowning, he widened gap.
Cute winged dino summon, traps and shots to block approach.
'Not bad.'
Smooth links; Rokan reassessed.
'Well, master level—basic control.'
[Title Dragon Slayer effect activates.]
Bad matchup. Dragonkin summons top-tier usually—but not here.
Daring to pull dragonkin against Dragon Slayer Rokan? Begging for death.
Title boosted stats and resistance vs. dragonkin—not just damage amp.
Not in Golden Lion set, but even direct hits wouldn't dent him.
"Full-Body Charge."
"......!"
No tanking even that.
Relic Chain ditched; new charge combo.
Distance closed instantly.
"B-block it!"
Pueok!
Beyond expectations; panicked, erred.
Dodge skill barely enough—yet tried blocking?
Bet on frontal push and ice trap, but new combo had 'Super Armor.'
Ignored all debuffs; shattered ground ice.
Bounced the dino, slammed chest.
"Guhk!"
One shot ragdolled him.
Not dead, but HP likely halved. Shoulder Charge packed insane power.
One or two more finishes it—but Rokan toyed. Rushers cry foul if ended quick, keep coming.
Crush thoroughly from start—no rematch thoughts.
"Crazy bastard!"
Realizing late, beet-red, scrambled up.
Sensed intentional no-follow-up.
Guildies watching—not them, this shame.
One fix: victory.
"Proliferating Traps! Arrow Rain! Life Recovery!"
Gritting, chained skills.
Up to five traps spread; arrows volleyed skyward.
Healed summon and self too.
"Amateur."
Too vanilla.
Rokan ghosted sideways; arrows hit dirt, traps avoided by not stepping in.
"Aura Bombardment."
Fired aura bursts wildly, no axes—high mana, amplified power.
Bombed his spot to rubble.
"Baby Dino, Berserk! Guided Shot!"
Dodged with mobility combo too. Evaded unblockable, counterattacked.
Summon berserk. Tracking arrows.
Textbook—boring. Rokan yawned inwardly.
"Blink."
Flash!
Vanished in light, reappeared overhead.
"Huhk!"
Instant teleport in sightline froze his heart.
Degurur.
Tumbled ugly—no follow-up.
Rokan toyed, no attack.
Dust-covered, rising—Rokan grinned.
"Back Grab."
"......!"
Vanished phantom-like, respawned behind.
New spawn skill.
High-speed arc to flank, exposed back.
Swaeak!
Wind-ripping—spectating trolls fired en masse.
Pueok!
Ignored. Splintered prey's skull first.
"No!"
"Insane! What defense?!"
Couldn't watch guildmate crushed—intervention backfired.
"Interfering? Hope you're ready."
Rokan bared fangs at them.