Chapter 295
Chapter 295
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 295
Chapter Title: Millennium Electric Eel (2)
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*Gurgle, gurgle.*
Climbing up the inside of the Millennium Electric Eel was no easy task. Waves of water kept rushing in at irregular intervals during the ascent.
*Kyuuut!*
But Kai had a pretty solid defense at his disposal.
Elemental Barrier.
Once he deployed it, the two swam effortlessly through the eel's body like bubbles rising against the current.
'Let's see...'
That didn't mean it was over, though. Finding the heart was another challenge.
Fortunately, Rokan had eyes that could pierce through everything and confirm the truth.
'There it is.'
After flying through every nook and cranny of the body atop Kai, Rokan soon spotted the heart.
At a glance, it was hard to tell if it was the heart or some other organ, but his all-seeing gaze confirmed it, leaving no room for hesitation.
He pulled out the Heart-Devouring Gullet in place of his battle axe and thrust it in with all his might.
*Grrrrraaawr!*
"Windstorm Avatar!"
The space shook violently right away. The Millennium Electric Eel, struck in the heart, began thrashing wildly.
The vibrations were so intense that even Rokan had to activate Windstorm Avatar just to hold on.
At least the dagger embedded in the heart didn't budge.
Once lodged in flesh, the dagger greedily sucked in power and refused to let go.
"Damn, it's rough."
The shaking was so bad that anyone with average strength would have been knocked out cold long ago, and even Rokan recoiled.
If Windstorm Avatar was barely keeping him steady, he doubted he'd have lasted without it.
Then, at some point, the convulsions eased.
Had it given up? Or run out of steam?
The question was answered soon enough.
*Tssst-tssst-tssst!*
Unable to use its power inside its own body, it summoned others instead.
[Millennium Electric Eel's Parasite][Lv 374]
The parasites that fed on nutrients inside its body emerged to fight for survival. A symbiotic relationship, essentially.
[Caution: If you release the Heart-Devouring Gullet, ability absorption will stop.]
"Damn."
But these were small fry. Their numbers were impressive, though—and more importantly, Rokan couldn't move freely.
He could wipe them out in seconds if he focused, but the restrictions from being pinned in place were a big problem.
It was the downside and weakness of the Heart-Devouring Gullet.
*Kyuuut!*
At that moment, Kai cried out as if saying, "Leave this to me."
"Kai, I trust you. Rider of Legends!"
Kai's level was a bit lower, but the source of his overflowing confidence was simple.
Predator-prey dynamic.
Kai's abilities surged against bugs.
*Kyuuut!*
It started with Gale Feathers.
A gale whipped up, blowing the parasites away while the embedded wind blades shredded their bodies.
Then, charge!
Sensing danger, the parasites squirmed toward Kai in resistance, but his large, sturdy beak bit, twisted, sliced, and devoured them.
"Now to hold on."
A few aimed for Rokan from other angles, but they were few.
With Kai handling most of the parasites, Rokan could manage the rest with one hand.
"Aura Barrage!"
*Boom-boom-boom!*
The skill cast one-handed was less potent, but who was Rokan? That alone was enough to deal fatal blows.
*Splash!*
The aura tendrils Rokan unleashed battered the interior. The eel's pained writhing shook its insides, dislodging the parasites.
*Kyuuut!*
But Rokan and Kai were barely affected.
Rokan clung to the heart, and Kai floated in midair regardless.
The situation repeated like a defense game, but once they got the hang of it, it tilted in their favor.
[The Heart-Devouring Gullet devours the heart of the legendary hunter, Millennium Electric Eel Hirollican.]
[Absorbing the power dwelling in the target's heart and soul.]
[You have acquired Lightning Control.]
Finally, the Heart-Devouring Gullet fulfilled its role.
"Lightning Control?"
The eel's movements halted along with its shriveled heart.
It felt like they were plummeting straight to the riverbed.
Water would soon flood in deep, and parasites still threatened them, but Rokan just wore a strange expression.
He couldn't grasp the nature of the skill gained from absorbing the heart.
[Lightning Control]
Control and discharge lightning down to the finest level.
That was the full description. No clue what to do with it.
"Lightning Discharge."
Time to test it.
As Rokan uttered the activation word, white currents sparked from his hands like a mage's spell.
*Crackle-crackle!*
Thrust forward, it roasted the parasites wholesale, showing off its power.
'Did it work?'
Even by magic standards, it was top-tier, but Rokan's face wasn't satisfied. He hadn't used a heart absorption slot just for one spell.
[You have slain Millennium Electric Eel Hirollican.]
[This news is relayed to Hirollican's owner.]
[Caution: Hirollican's owner feels rage toward the one who killed their pet.]
To make matters worse, another bad update piled on. Hirollican was some demon's pet.
Now, its owner expressed not just hostility, but outright fury toward Rokan.
They'd entered a state of irreconcilable enmity.
*Groooar.*
He frowned at the unintended mess, but it wasn't the priority. A roar echoed from afar, and water rushed in.
"Whoa."
'Ride out the Elemental Barrier again?'
As Rokan considered regrouping with Kai, he spotted the drop item from the eel.
[Sea Prince's Cloak][Epic]
A cloak imbued with special power allowing agile movement underwater like sea folk.
-Defense: 3,100
-Durability: 10,000 / 10,000 (Self-repairs on contact with water)
-Underwater movement equivalent to [Flight].
-[Underwater Breathing] possible
-[Whirlpool] usable
-[Aqua Blast] usable
"Yes!"
Just as expected. An item perfect for underwater action.
A cloak overlapped with Gale Wings, but those weren't suited for water anyway, so it worked out.
Three skills attached, plus unrestricted movement—quite the prize.
"Kai, unsummon."
Rokan quickly donned it and unsummoned Kai.
The water pressure would be intense, but Windstorm Avatar's power could handle it.
"Hup."
Rokan burst out against the current, grabbed the eel's sprawled tail on the riverbed, and dragged it ashore.
"Whew, it's filthy heavy."
Without Windstorm Avatar, he couldn't have budged it an inch, let alone hauled it out. But he managed, then immediately skinned it.
The sleek, tough hide was armor-worthy, but his battle axe mercilessly shredded it.
"This should do it."
Now, find a master craftsman to turn it into gear for conquering the Land of Judgment.
"Hmm, hood or cloak would be best."
Hood or cloak were ideal. Gale Wings' self-repair was unreliable anyway, and they'd be hard to use in the Land of Judgment.
"Heavenly Rune Book, activate."
Decision made, Rokan used the Heavenly Rune Book right away. First stop: the heavenly realm.
Handing it to a demon craftsman risked fire-affinity options, which could backfire in the heavenly Land of Judgment instead of blocking lightning.
"Make a hood or cloak from this? Hmm, I could... but... it's tempting, yet..."
But they all balked. Intrigued by the Millennium Electric Eel hide, yet clearly hesitant.
'Because of the celestials.'
Pinpointing the lukewarm response wasn't hard.
No direct attacks from celestials yet, but hints of trouble made them wary of Rokan despite his demon-hunting rep.
It pissed him off.
Not just this time—cooperation in heavenly realms would be tough from now on.
He'd braced for it, but not this pettiness from celestials. Subtle anger simmered.
"Ahem, bear with me. Can't risk botching it..."
Not mad at the crafter, Rokan turned away.
'Smash some heads, and attitudes might change?'
Reconfirming brute force as the fix, he headed to the demon realm next.
"Entrusting gear crafting to demons? Heh, more naive than I thought. I say this 'cause you're a regular, but drop it. Lucky if they don't waste materials. Real pros are already employed—under titled demons, crafting exclusively for them. If you don't mind shoddy work and getting ripped off, I could hook you up with some hack."
"No thanks."
The demon realm was no better.
No external pressure like heaven, but skilled artisans were rare.
Dodged a scam by not asking his usual shop to connect him.
"This... is beyond my skill. Spare me, milord."
Even his territory's own craftsman lacked the chops.
Ask Gaokan? His lands probably overflowed with talent.
Or get an intro to Gaokan's gear maker?
No. Rokan shelved the tempting idea.
Going to Gaokan meant endless sparring to "test and master" the new heart-absorbed ability.
Better find another way than endure that nightmare.
"Neutral zone it is, then?"
In the end, that's where Rokan headed.
But few artisans stayed or worked there, deepening his frown.
'If this flops, gotta brainstorm alternatives...'
Other solutions eluded him.
Wait for listings? Level up in the meantime?
Lost in thought upon arriving at the neutral zone, Rokan spent coins gathering intel.
He scraped every scrap on neutral-zone artisans.
And in that pile of info, he spotted a familiar name.