Chapter 316
Chapter 316
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 316
Chapter Title: Dragon Hunt (5)
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# 316
Craaaack! Boom!
A massive explosion. The impact, like a bomb detonating, shook the lair. Even the Guardians and Gaokan's forces, locked in fierce combat, staggered badly.
Gaokan and Samalian continued their fight unaffected, but the sheer terrifying power engulfed Rokan and his clone.
Pooof!
It was so overwhelming that the clone's health hit zero and vanished in an instant.
But that wasn't the problem.
Whoooosh!
From the core of the destroyed combined golem, something else burst forth.
"Damn it!"
Something even more powerful began to unleash its might. As if the seal suppressing it had shattered.
"Blink!"
It was pure instinct.
The moment Rokan sensed that power, he charged.
He no longer had the strength to destroy it, but he still had one trick left.
"Eat it!"
Crunch!
The Demon God's Fang Belt! Its savage teeth bit down and swallowed it whole with a satisfying gulp.
[The Demon God's Fang Belt rapidly grows due to the Predatory Growth effect.]
He'd shoved it in without even checking its grade, but the effect was dramatic. The belt underwent not just a minor upgrade, but explosive growth.
Checking stats could wait. For now, he launched himself into action.
To save Gaokan's disciples?
No. He might save a few, but it would be like pissing in the wind. If they couldn't take down Samalian, they'd all die anyway.
That's why Rokan headed straight for Samalian.
He couldn't use skills yet, but Rokan's raw attack power was a threat in itself.
Gaokan knew this and moved cleverly.
"Challenger's Sword!"
As Gaokan unleashed his power, hundreds, thousands of swords materialized in the air. A special skill usable only during Creation.
The swords of those he'd challenged and those who'd challenged him, manifested in mana, all stabbed toward Samalian at once. Distracting it.
"Absolute Shield!"
Rumble rumble boom!
But Gaokan's attack was in vain. Samalian invoked Dragon Words to summon an absolute barrier.
Even infused with the dragon's vast mana, it only lasted a short time, but its power was truly absolute.
"Unicorn, Rider of Legends!"
Rokan struck half a beat later.
The moment Absolute Shield dropped, instead of relying on his skill-locked self, he added his power to the unicorn's.
Stab!
The unicorn's horn pierced the reverse scale once more, sending Samalian's health plummeting.
"Grraaaaaargh!"
Samarlian writhed in agony again. Dizzy with indescribable pain, it flipped its body.
That created an opening. Gaokan seized it perfectly.
"Challenger's Eye."
The Challenger finds the Champion's flaw. He spotted a rice-grain-sized gap in the flawless form.
"Infinite Strike."
In that instant, all of Gaokan's power focused on one point.
Shortening even the duration of Creation with rapid power consumption, he slashed at the writhing Samalian's neck.
Dragon Heart.
Near Samalian's neck. The dragon's heart, its dantian, the source of all power—he aimed there.
Kagagagang!
Samarlian's hide peeled away easily. Gaokan had that much power.
But Infinite Strike halted at the Dragon Heart, meeting fierce resistance.
The Dragon Heart's hardness was one thing, but the mana packed inside repelled it.
"Urk!"
Gaokan was the one attacking, yet a rough groan escaped him. Muscles bulging across his body, he poured everything into this awkward hanging, thrusting pose.
The problem was Samalian's violent thrashing in pain!
Its immense power surged toward Gaokan.
"Hraaah!"
Boom!
Samarlian's short arm clashed with Rokan's fist.
A clash of raw strength.
With all skill cooldowns active, all Rokan could do was block the beast's movements with pure power and protect Gaokan to ensure his attack landed.
His body shuddered and was pushed back through the air by the heavy impact, but Rokan didn't stop.
"Kai!"
Riding Kai instead of the unicorn, he resisted the beast's force and began canceling it out.
'Damn it.'
But it wasn't easy. Rokan was one, while the dragon had four limbs.
Its cumbersome wings were stirring up wind and interfering too.
'Hold on?'
Then, something flashed in Rokan's mind.
A perfect way to bind and restrain its movements.
"Extend!"
Focusing his mind, the chains dangling from the Battle Axe stretched out swiftly and long, binding Samalian's limbs and torso.
Chains that sealed destruction.
The chains that had subdued and sealed even Titan, superior in strength to dragons, wrapped Samalian tight.
"Well done, Rokan! Hraaaaaah!"
In the meantime, Gaokan drew up all his power, canceling Creation itself as he funneled every ounce of strength into his sword tip.
Grind grind! Pop!
Finally, it pierced. Shattering the mana vessel of dragon bone, releasing the trapped mana into the world.
"Huff!"
There was backlash. The Guardians suddenly exposed to dragon mana went berserk all at once.
Their attacks grew fiercer, their power amplified.
But only briefly. Dodging and blocking was enough.
The ones who'd taken in excess mana began self-destructing.
Rumble rumble.
Gargoyles and undead collapsed on their own. Their bodies, unable to withstand the surged mana, crumbled.
"Huff, huff."
Boom!
Finally, Samalian fell too, with hollow eyes. Its neck pierced, bound tight by chains.
"Did... we do it?"
If level-ups weren't capped, it'd have been a massive level burst—regrettable, but the important thing was they'd taken it down.
Whoooosh. Fwaaah!
As if to prove it, brilliant light poured from Gaokan's body.
A golden glow, like the Golden Lion's.
"Congratulations."
Rokan couldn't know for sure, but he sensed it. Gaokan had reached a new realm.
[???? Gaokan][Lv 450]
A quick glance showed Gaokan's old epithet—King of Challenge and Opportunity—replaced by question marks.
Something had changed.
Level 450 seemed to be the threshold to the next realm.
"Hahaha! Thanks. I'd have been in real trouble without you."
Gaokan gazed warmly at Rokan with eyes infused with golden divinity, offering sincere thanks to the one who'd helped fulfill his long-held wish.
"The losses... regrettable."
"Can't be helped. Having this many survivors is a blessing."
But his forces had taken heavy damage.
Their numbers halved, and six of Gaokan's disciples had died.
A massive loss, but as he said, not total annihilation.
With Gaokan grown another step, he could rebuild his forces quickly—no need to worry.
"Hm, I plan to stay here a bit longer to regroup..."
After a brief reorganization, Gaokan gauged Rokan's intentions.
Better to gather strength and acclimate before moving, rather than leaving now.
He'd loot Samalian's lair too. The treasures alone would replenish his weakened forces.
Dragon's hoard.
Rokan was tempted, but their deal ended here. No intent to claim a share now, and the quest was complete—no regrets.
'Almost there.'
Checking the quest window, Rokan smiled in satisfaction.
Just a little more. Artificially created life like golems didn't count, but he'd met most other conditions. Grand Master was within reach.
He'd already prepared for the rest.
"Then I'll head out first. Things to do."
"Right. See you next time. Call if you need help—I'll do what I can."
After chatting during the brief regroup, the two exchanged light nods and parted.
Leaving Gaokan and his forces in the lair, Rokan used the Heavenly Rune Book first.
Spatial transfer had been blocked by powerful magic barriers before, but with Samalian down, it was just a big cave now.
Rokan returned to the starting village, his first stop upon reaching the heavens.
The border village would be more convenient, but sadly, it was already destroyed in the war with the celestials.
"Rokan?"
"Hm?"
Upon arriving, neither celestials nor demons greeted him.
'A player?'
A player indeed. But even among top rankers, an unfamiliar face and name.
[Berdan][Lv 361]
'Some already made it to the heavens.'
But something felt off. The message was clear, yet his language felt familiar yet not.
'English... American player?'
He spoke not Korean, but English.
Rokan's English wasn't conversational, but some auto-translation made it understandable.
'I see.'
He recalled an interview with The Lord's developers.
An answer to why players from other countries weren't encountered.
-The time hasn't come yet.
It meant no foreign players on the 'surface.'
Players from around the world first met in the 'heavens.'
Few had reached the heavens before, so it stayed secret. But the heavens held this twist.
'The game's getting bigger.'
Rokan welcomed the change. Korea was called a gaming powerhouse, supreme nation, but other countries' players were no pushovers now.
His altered future delayed Korean players' ascent, but their quick entry here meant they were exceptional too.
Different national playstyles and item builds piqued his curiosity.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Berdan, from the US. I lead the small guild Frozen Nova."
"Rokan."
Frozen Nova rang a bell—not small, but top-tier among US major guilds.
Berdan of Frozen Nova was famous too. A speed knight wielding swift swordplay with ice powers, slowing foes while speeding himself.
But why was he interested in Rokan?
As a pioneer, first to the heavens among players? Maybe admiration. But his words and actions felt off—not just fanboying.
Others might miss it, but with unmatched The Lord experience, Rokan noticed.
'This guy...'
Narrowing his eyes after scanning Berdan, Rokan spotted something suspicious.