Chapter 296
Chapter 296
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 296
Chapter Title: Reunion (1)
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“Yeah, this guy’s here.”
Red Axe Drokshi.
The name of this powerful celestial dwarf warrior and craftsman felt welcoming once again.
He knew he was a skilled blacksmith, but it hadn’t occurred to him that he’d handle leatherwork too, so he hadn’t thought of him. Yet there it was, his name prominently listed in the info gathered with coins.
“A dwarf’s craftsmanship isn’t something to take lightly.”
But once he confirmed it, he immediately accepted it.
Dwarves weren’t just a race skilled with metal. What they were born with was the domain of ‘craftsmanship’ itself.
So it made perfect sense that they’d excel at leatherworking or even sewing.
Proof of that was how some used their delicate handiwork for sleight-of-hand tricks and thievery, right?
A grin spread across Rokan’s face.
For sure, a guy closing in on level 400 was believable.
Unfortunately, the contract period to bind him with a document had ended, but he figured he could sweet-talk and coax this one somehow.
“He’s pretty far out there.”
The only annoyance was the distance.
Whether to avoid Rokan or not, the guy’s current location was quite a ways from Border Village.
But traveling there was just a matter of time.
He considered that if the guy knew he was coming, he might bolt, but there was no way he’d know.
Rokan ramped up his speed and reached the city where he was in one go.
“Hmm, just as I thought.”
Even after switching Green Wyverns several times, it took a full three days to arrive at a mining city.
The entire bald mountain glowed bluish, signaling that the minerals produced here were anything but ordinary.
And that explained why Drokshi was sticking around.
Mining minerals and crafting gear. Whether to make weapons of destruction, earn money, or craft high-grade equipment for self-satisfaction, he couldn’t say—but it was clear the guy wouldn’t leave easily anytime soon.
“Red Axe Drokshi? He’s probably in the mines right now.”
“If it’s him, just check the mines and the workshop. You’ll find him easy. Ever since he got here, he’s been obsessed with crafting like a madman. Makes you think he’s tossed his axe aside for good.”
Asking around upon entering the village, tracking Drokshi down wasn’t hard at all. He’d become a local celebrity with his gear-crafting frenzy.
Whether to replace the items Rokan had taken or for some other reason, it was a relief that he could be found easily.
“The mines, huh…”
They were a hassle to enter, even from the surface.
Paths weren’t straight lines—you could easily get lost or turned around—and high-grade mines required ‘permits.’
With valuable resources buried inside, security was tight. Breaking in by force wasn’t impossible, but it’d definitely put him on the bad side of the Transcendent ruling this region.
“What a pain.”
Usually, you’d hunt monsters inside or complete special quests from the ruler or overseer, but Rokan found another way.
[You have acquired a Sealed Stone Mine Entry Permit.]
Coins, straight up.
If they blocked entry to prevent valuable ore from being smuggled out, then offering coins worth more than that should settle it, right?
He could’ve waited in the village, but worried the guy might skip town, Rokan shoved enough coins down the overseer’s throat to shut him up, got the permit issued, and headed into the mines to find Drokshi.
‘Sealed Stone, huh…’
In the process of getting the permit, Rokan learned the identity of the ore buried here.
Sealed Stone.
He didn’t know what it sealed, but the name alone felt ominous.
‘Does it have no effect in raw ore form? Maybe it requires special conditions.’
No actual impact, but the vibe and sensation were weird.
Focusing carefully as he delved deeper, he spotted miners diligently excavating.
Sadly, not Drokshi.
But he had to be somewhere around here.
Rokan pressed further in.
“Hm?”
Bzzz.
After going quite a ways, a vibration hit his waist like he was wearing a buzzer belt. The Demon God’s Fang Belt was resonating.
And what that meant was clear.
Celestial God’s Arrangement or Demon God’s Arrangement.
Hard to pinpoint exactly with the belt going haywire, but no big deal. Either way worked.
‘Alright, where is it?’
Drokshi was already erased from his mind. He could track the guy anytime, somehow.
He followed the spasming belt’s reactions, choosing paths accordingly.
‘Well, well?’
The belt was reacting toward the abandoned shafts.
Finished mining, now unused tunnels blocked by simple signs forbidding entry—but when did Rokan ever follow rules like that? He ignored it and went in.
Dark abandoned shafts without even torches to light the way.
But it was no obstacle for Rokan. His All-Piercing Eyes pierced the darkness too.
‘Hm?’
Finally, the end of the abandoned shaft. Nothing there. Just a dead-end wall where they’d stopped digging.
‘No way it ends here.’
Bzzzzz.
Yet the vibration at his waist was fiercer than ever.
‘I’ll smash it.’
That’s why Rokan had no intention of stopping. He was certain.
“Strike of Ruin.”
A Battle Axe’s attack power was overwhelming, but this wasn’t slacking either. Tuned for ‘destruction,’ it wouldn’t fall short.
Boom!
Hitting the dead-end sent a heavy recoil through him.
‘It’s different.’
But not without gain. The sensation was off. Breaking rock felt different from shattering a barrier.
‘Then…’
Miners had given up, thinking it a massive, unyielding boulder, but really, a powerful protective barrier coated it.
Confirming via sensation, Rokan swapped weapons instantly. He poured his full power to shatter the barrier.
“Radiant Slaughter!”
Crack!
Once damage exceeded a threshold, the barrier couldn’t recover and broke. Overwhelming attack power outpaced its auto-repair, destroying it completely.
Whoooosh.
And a gate appeared. Rokan had seen this before.
Same as the one when he got the Celestial God’s Arrangement.
Worried the barrier might reform, he hurried inside—and his view shifted.
“Hmm, looks like Celestial God after all.”
A massive plaza unfolded before him.
Odd that it didn’t spawn from a passage like before, but it made sense on second thought.
He’d already passed the Celestial God’s trial, hadn’t he?
Having earned recognition, getting the Arrangement right away was understandable.
“…Damn it.”
But life doesn’t go to plan.
As Rokan scanned for the altar, a beam of white light descended before him. It coalesced into a form.
[Sealed Valkyrie][Lv 400]
A level 400 celestial guardian.
Confirmed Celestial God lineage, but its appearance meant one thing.
Take it down.
The trial began.
“Storm Incarnation, Full-Body Invincibility, Martial Soul Awakening!”
The moment its name glowed red, Rokan unleashed his power too.
Watching and yielding first strike? Not his style.
It raised its spear, thrusting like a beam of light.
Clang!
Hard to track with eyes alone, but Rokan wasn’t easy prey. Charging while tensing and focusing on its movements, he saw the thrust’s path.
Straight for the heart.
Maybe it knew he was a berserker class, but it targeted vitals ruthlessly.
And that made it easier to handle.
‘Precise to a fault.’
The Valkyrie’s spearmanship was faster and more refined than any he’d seen. Paradoxically, that made it simpler.
Sticking to vitals limited its attack range, making counters easier to time.
Whoosh!
Give flesh to take bone.
So Rokan chose the simplest path. Tank the spear, close in, and cleave it!
“Damn.”
But it wasn’t a pushover. The instant Rokan closed distance, it dissolved into light and reappeared elsewhere.
A real pain of a teleport.
“By the Celestial God’s name… bind.”
“…!”
Then, reappearing, the Valkyrie activated another skill.
Walls shook, and four rings shot out.
Rings carrying a familiar aura flew straight at Rokan.
“Where?!”
Clang!
Sensing danger, Rokan swung his Battle Axe to bat them away.
But like heat-seekers, they pursued relentlessly.
Click.
Finally, they clamped onto his wrists and ankles like shackles.
[You have equipped the Celestial God’s Sealing Rings.]
[Stats are restricted.]
[Skill power is restricted.]
“Crazy.”
The results were brutal. Stats boosted by Storm Incarnation plummeted, skill power crippled too.
“Celestial Light Frenzy.”
“Blink!”
Boom boom boom!
While Rokan faltered, a barrage hammered his spot.
With his current stats, even blocking was a struggle—insane power.
He dodged with Blink somehow, but relying on luck forever wasn’t viable.
“Aura Barrage!”
So Rokan focused on shaking it off. Buy time to find a solution.
‘Use Time Regression? Smash the shackles like self-harm? Would Armor Break work?’
His mind raced.
“Celestial Judgment!”
“Counter!”
Small mercy: his control was at its peak.
Buffed up, the Valkyrie’s stats matched or slightly edged his, but reading its vital-only pattern let him barely hold.
But holding wasn’t enough. You couldn’t win just defending.
If Storm Incarnation’s duration ended like this, hope was gone for Rokan.
‘Need a play.’
He needed a reversal card.
“Thunder Burst!”
Rumble.
Based on infinite mana, he focused on repelling it till he found a way.
“Damn.”
But no dice. Weakened skills couldn’t land solid hits.
A bit more strength or agility, and he could’ve gone for a one-shot reversal—but it was razor-thin.
After a few exchanges confirming that, enduring was all he could do now.
‘Wait?’
Then, a thought struck.
‘If it’s just a little… maybe?’
Pure hypothesis.
Hard to gauge success, and failure meant huge risk.
A momentary freeze could mean a heart-burst or decapitation.
No choice, though.
Rokan acted on the sudden idea.