Chapter 288
Chapter 288
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 288
Chapter Title: Heart-Eating Ogre (2)
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“Let's go, Kai!”
Kyit!
Responding to Rokan's expectations after their long-awaited communion, Kai let out a pleased cry and dove into a steep descent.
A plummeting dive straight down from the sky.
Rokan immediately understood what Kai wanted.
It was a slight deviation from the plan, but it was worth testing the enemy out.
He activated his skill in sync, merging with Kai to become a red meteor.
“The Legend Rider, Red Meteor!”
Kwa-gwang!
Kai's massive body collided head-on with the Titan.
Confident in its overwhelming strength against anyone, the Titan didn't dodge—it met the charge squarely.
“Huh.”
And it really blocked it. Its feet sank deep into the ground, but it had withstood the Red Meteor with pure power.
On top of that, it countered!
The Titan blocked with its right arm, then swung its left without much stiffness, aiming for a counterblow.
A devastating force that warped the air hurtled toward Kai and Rokan.
Kyit!
At that moment, Kai shone. It deployed an Elemental Barrier to defend against the attack.
“Crazy.”
Was the real Titan's power really this much?
The Elemental Barrier held, but they were still flung back, slamming into the wall.
And then the Titan's massive body came flying in.
This time, as if intent on smashing them to pieces, the Titan dashed forward with blinding speed, its right fist smashing down on where Rokan had been.
“Reverse Summon, Blink!”
At this point, even Rokan lacked the confidence to take it head-on.
Moreover, he hadn't activated Storm Incarnation yet. He dodged with full power, then quickly caught his breath.
Kugu-gung.
“This is really thrilling.”
Without the immortality effect active, one wrong hit could spell disaster.
Proof of that: a single punch from it had triggered a landslide.
Even with Storm Incarnation or Soul Awakening, he wasn't sure he could match that power.
[Earth Titan][Lv 438]
Level 438, no less. In his current state, victory seemed impossible, but Rokan held back.
Suppressing the urge to go all-out in a desperate brawl, he regained his cool rationality.
“Giant Chrysalis, summon. Harden.”
This was Rokan's prepared trump card. The Giant Chrysalis's sole skill boosted defense by 500% and reduced damage by 99%.
“Krwarrr!”
Even the Earth Titan couldn't ignore the aggro effect from the Giant Chrysalis.
Its eyes rolled back as if entranced, and it began pummeling the Giant Chrysalis like a punching bag.
The Earth Titan fought bare-handed without weapons, making it look even more like it was beating on a sandbag.
‘Terrifying.’
Did others feel this way watching him?
Even with most of its attack power sealed, seeing the Giant Chrysalis's body shake made cold sweat trickle down.
But Rokan did absolutely nothing. It wasn't time yet.
Without Transcendent Awakening, trading blows directly was extremely risky.
So he waited for the Titan's power to wane, for enough damage to stack on the Giant Chrysalis.
“Storm Incarnation, Full Body Peerless, Soul Awakening!”
When the Giant Chrysalis's health dropped to about 15%, Rokan finally unleashed his power.
He rose, his body now as massive as a giant, timing it perfectly.
‘Now!’
Confirming the Giant Chrysalis's health plummeting despite the damage reduction, he charged at the Titan.
“Gale Slaughter! Lion's Dance!”
Any longer would be trouble. The Giant Chrysalis's role wasn't just to drain the Titan—it couldn't die first before Harden ended.
Rokan had no choice but to step in.
“Krheherrhreng!”
Caught off-guard, the Earth Titan roared in fury as its body was shredded.
As if snapping back to its senses, it locked eyes with Rokan, its gaze igniting.
“Backstab!”
The Earth Titan charged like a gale, belying its size.
But Rokan had no intention of facing it head-on.
Using his skill, he slipped behind it, layering on a feint for good measure.
“Counter!”
Whoosh!
The Titan spun desperately, its hook slicing empty air.
Even without Transcendent Awakening, after taking that beating, it should have slowed—yet its power remained ferocious.
True to the "Earth" moniker, it brimmed with terrestrial energy, its physical prowess top-tier.
“Lion's Chain Slash!”
But what about this?
Rokan's pinnacle single-target damage skill, Lion's Chain Slash, tore into the Titan's slowly healing wounds.
The evasion-to-counter flow stole its timing, carving straight into its chest.
‘Damn.’
Rokan had hoped for a critical hit with luck, but he bit his lip at the sensation catching on his battle axe.
It felt blocked by something.
The Titan's defense was beyond imagination. Almost like he'd poked the wrong spot.
“Earth Strike!”
“Urk, Deflect!”
With the battle axe buried in its chest, it smashed down.
Rokan desperately deflected, but pain like his arm would snap surged through him.
Fortunately, he rode the impact to put distance between them.
‘Brawling's out.’
Simultaneously, he judged that close-quarters fisticuffs with it was suicide.
Until now, bolstered by his physical stats, Rokan had never lost a melee clash—but this opponent was different. A whole other league.
He bit his lip again, buying time.
“Aura Bombardment!”
“Earth's Wrath!”
Crack! Kwa-gwang!
“...!”
He'd fired an Aura Bombardment from range to catch his breath, but the Titan's response was astonishing. It slammed both hands into the ground, ripping up a thick slab of earth and hurling it.
Infused with the Titan's mana, not mere rock, it nullified the Aura Bombardment.
“Earth's Silence!”
“Shit! Destruction Strike!”
Worse, the Titan hid in the crumbling debris to close in.
Vision obscured, even Blink unusable. Rokan had no choice but to meet it head-on.
Their fists collided.
“Gah!”
“Kek, a human with some strength!”
Because of its giant form, Rokan had unconsciously assumed it was dim-witted—he revised that now.
At least in combat, the Titan was cunning.
‘Urk, this is bad.’
His arm that clashed with it wouldn't respond properly.
Thanks to Storm Incarnation, no shattered bones, but recovery would take time.
‘Wait?’
A dire situation.
Dodging its attacks at max speed to buy left-arm recovery time, something clicked in Rokan's mind.
‘It's a Titan, right?’
A crucial fact he'd overlooked.
The opponent was a Titan.
“Soul Awakening.”
Whoosh!
Dodging an assault that could snap bones even glancing, Rokan awakened the soul power in his gear once more.
Not the Lion King's relics—but the Sealed Gale Chain Battle Axe!
[The Sealed Gale Chain Battle Axe triggers Soul Awakening.]
[Sealed items cannot awaken.]
[Restriction released. Titan detected nearby. Special condition met—seal on Sealed Gale Chain Battle Axe temporarily lifted.]
The battle axe couldn't Soul Awaken while sealed, but a Titan changed that. This weapon, steeped in gale lore, was specialized against Titans.
The seal lifted temporarily, altering its stats.
And the other power within became Rokan's.
“Lion's Pounce! Blink!”
Gaining confidence, Rokan's style shifted.
Until now, pure evasion—but now, with amplified damage against Titans, he had no reason to avoid direct confrontation.
Boom!
Instantly closing to point-blank via Blink, a mighty Shoulder Charge erupted from Rokan's shoulder.
It crushed that sturdy flesh, snapping bones.
“Krheung!”
Sensing crisis, the Earth Titan howled in pain yet flailed wildly, pummeling Rokan's back as he burrowed into its broken body.
‘Urk.’
Even sloppy punches shaved off his health chunks.
But unless it crushed his skull, it couldn't silence Rokan.
No—it only made him stronger.
[Title Unyielding Will effect: All stats +100%.]
Health plummeting below 10% in seconds triggered Unyielding Will.
All stats doubled!
His already potent attack power ballooned instantly.
This should let him brawl the Titan evenly, right?
Buoyed, Rokan didn't pursue the retreating Titan—instead, he dropped to a crouch.
“Krung?”
“To build momentum, you bastard! Steps of Resolve!”
Boom!
He exploded upward. Closing the brief gap in an instant.
“Earth's...!”
“Back Grab.”
But that was a feint too.
As it panicked mid-skill, Rokan used Generation to circle behind again.
Perfect opening!
Rokan surged with power once more.
“Gale Slaughter, Lion's Dance!”
Point-blank frenzy!
The combo unleashing dozens of strikes per breath slammed into the Titan's back. Something heavy caught again, but it pierced through.
‘Got it!’
The sensation in his hands foretold victory.
“Kr...euk...”
Stagger. Thud!
The Earth Titan collapsed without even turning, eyes vacant.
“Huh?”
In that instant, Rokan sensed something wrong. Its body stayed its bronze hue—no gray of death.
Not dead.
As he moved for the kill, yellow light erupted from it.
[Earth's Blessing on the Earth Titan activates.]
[The Earth Titan's breath continues.]
[The Earth Titan cannot suffer true death while its feet touch the ground.]
“Crazy!”
“Krheherrhreng!”
Before he could react to the absurd system message, the Earth Titan sprang up faster than him, spinning with its signature stone fist to smash Rokan.
“Guk!”
Its power even seemed stronger than before.
“Tell me that shit sooner...!”
He barely blocked, but his health was rock-bottom.
‘Use Time Reversal? Grinding its health again looks tough.’
Bracing his core to clash, Rokan's eyes wavered.
Then, he spotted something forgotten.
‘Perfect!’
He grinned.
“Legend Rider!”
“...!”
A world-shadowing form appeared.
Kai, transformed into Great Peng, diving in.
Thud.
It seized the Earth Titan's sturdy shoulder.
Immense weight, but current Kai managed.
Fierce wingbeats lifted it while grabbing, and a localized Elemental Barrier blocked the Titan's ankle strikes once.
That sufficed.
“Great timing!”
“Guk!”
Right then, Giant Chrysalis's Harden ended.
It reflected 50% of damage taken during Harden back at the attacker—unreduced!
The gleeful pummeling returned as massive damage to the Earth Titan.
Blindsided, it couldn't recover.
Vulnerable.
“Wing Mode!”
Rokan took to the air.
Overlapping every skill he had in a flash.
“Ultra Apex.”
Then, he thrust the Soul Skill of the Gale Battle Axe at it.