Chapter 342
Chapter 342
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 342
Chapter Title: Illusion Demon Realm (1)
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[Spirit Realm Guardian][Quest]
Help the spirits hunt down the illusory beasts invading the Spirit Realm.
-Completion Condition: Hunt illusory beasts.
-Completion Rewards:
1. Rewards scaled to the number of illusory beasts hunted.
2. 10% increase in experience gained during the quest.
3. Massive experience upon completion.
It was a straightforward illusory beast hunting quest.
Just like Rokan had done on his way to the village—hunting the illusory beasts that invaded the Spirit Realm.
But there was one glaring loophole.
“No mention of the location, huh?”
There was no specification on where to hunt the illusory beasts.
Sure, the description mentioned “illusory beasts invading the Spirit Realm,” but the completion condition simply said “illusory beast hunt.”
So, why not test it out?
Instead of hunting illusory beasts in the Spirit Realm—where who knew how many lurked or where—they could just cross over to the Illusion Demon Realm and slaughter them directly.
Of course, Rokan hadn’t even mastered the geography of the Spirit Realm yet, let alone the Illusion Demon Realm. But he’d solved that at the shop just moments ago. He’d bought a map.
It was a simple sketch, like a rough diagram, but it was enough to grasp the Spirit Realm’s scale and borders.
“The Archspirits, huh…”
The Spirit Realm was formed and governed by the six Archspirits of different attributes.
“Governed” might be a stretch—it was more like they managed it—but at any rate, these six powerful spirits were united in protecting the realm.
They were at least level 450, maybe even higher.
And at the center, in the Spirit King’s Tower, lurked “some entity” that was undoubtedly a cut above them.
It was valuable info, but the spirits—who were fond of Rokan—giggled and chattered on as if they didn’t know or care.
“I’ll have to pay a visit sometime.”
But right now, what mattered more was the world beyond the Spirit Realm’s borders.
Rokan’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the map’s simple markings of adjacent regions.
“The Illusion Demon Realm and the Ghost Realm…”
The Spirit Realm, Illusion Demon Realm, and Ghost Realm formed a triangular standoff. Their borders intertwined, each assaulting the others.
Illusory beasts targeted the flora and fauna of the Spirit Realm, while the Ghost Realm preyed on the bodies of illusory beasts.
The Ghost Realm was, simply put, the world of ghosts, seeking flesh through possession or body domination.
And the Spirit Realm? Spirits were free of greed by nature, but they were sensitive to harmony and balance. Thus, they sought to purify the Ghost Realm for its disruption of the natural order with its unnatural powers.
This setup inevitably led to a cycle of predation.
The Illusion Demon Realm targeted the Spirit Realm, the Spirit Realm the Ghost Realm, and the Ghost Realm the Illusion Demon Realm?
That left him with a dilemma. Did players have to pick one of these worlds?
Who knew. Time would tell.
One thing was certain: illusory beasts were easier to hunt than spirits. They had solid, physical forms, after all.
“Shall we go, then?”
Rokan, loaded up with useful items for the Spirit Realm from his shopping spree, left the village immediately. He took flight toward the Illusion Demon Realm.
“Kai!”
Kyuuweet!
Unlike the Void, summoning familiars here was unrestricted, so Kai appeared without a hint of strain, as if he’d been waiting eagerly.
No, he seemed even more vibrant and full of energy than before.
[Elemental Big Bird Kai absorbs elemental power.]
“...?”
The notification that popped up confirmed Rokan’s suspicion.
Kai’s racial trait, infused with attribute energy, meshed perfectly with the Spirit Realm.
Just hovering there built up his power naturally, and flapping his wings actively sped up the absorption.
What kind of synergy was this? How was the Spirit Realm affecting Kai?
It was clearly positive, but what power it would grant him remained a mystery.
“Kyaaruk!”
Wind spirits gathered around the flapping Kai, peering at him curiously. Thanks to the [Empathy] ability, they showered him with the same fondness and interest they’d shown Rokan.
‘No way… Is he getting along with them better than me?’
Rokan felt oddly sidelined, a strange mix of emotions bubbling up.
It meant Kai was a hit in the Spirit Realm, but it felt like losing his best buddy to new friends.
By then, they neared the border with the Illusion Demon Realm.
Rokan’s starting area wasn’t far from it to begin with, and the wind spirits’ help had boosted their speed dramatically.
“Kyaak! Let’s play again next time!”
“Take care!”
He didn’t know what they chatted about among themselves, but the wind spirits saw them off to the end.
[You receive the Wind’s Blessing.]
[All movement speeds increased by 10%.]
[All damage reduced by 10% due to Wind’s Protection.]
[Wind attribute resistance increased by 20%.]
And free buffs to boot. It really drove home the value of befriending spirits.
[You have entered the Illusion Demon Realm.]
[Unbelievable achievement! You are the first to discover the Illusion Demon Realm.]
[Acquired title ‘Discoverer of the Illusion Demon Realm.’]
[You are the first to acquire this title.]
[First][Discoverer of the Illusion Demon Realm][Unique]
You are the first to confirm the existence of the Illusion Demon Realm. Its denizens take interest in you, the first visitor.
You are the first to acquire this title.
[Effects]
-Illusion Demon Realm reputation increased.
-Interest from the Five Kings of the Illusion Demon Realm.
“Hmm.”
The notifications and title hit the moment he entered. The effects were a bit vague, but for a new world, they weren’t bad.
No, they were a solid boon—letting him exploit the Illusion Demon Realm more easily than others.
“I can kill freely now.”
Rokan especially liked the reputation boost.
He’d be hunting illusory beasts going forward, so high rep meant he could rack up kills without it tanking too quickly.
Maintain a decent level, and he could hop between the Spirit Realm and Illusion Demon Realm, sucking up the honey.
“Kai, let’s go!”
He smiled and picked up speed.
The Illusion Demon Realm’s atmosphere differed from the Spirit Realm’s, but it didn’t faze Kai much. Think of it as buffs in the Spirit Realm and neutral here—simple.
The village direction was easy with the Compass of Desire, so after flying a good while, they reached the illusory beasts’ village.
“Oh?”
It was more impressive than expected.
While the Spirit Realm village was a crude setup using trees, this one had the form of a proper city.
The locals were unique too. Mostly humanoid illusory beasts, with some beast-shaped ones mixed in, but all maintained reason—no rampaging.
And other races.
“Looks like they’ve got some exchange going on.”
Celestials, demons, nagas, birdfolk—diverse races milled about.
Unlike the Spirit Realm’s elves and high elves only, this place seemed open.
The rainbow teleporter suggested the Spirit Realm wasn’t totally closed off either. Maybe spirits just found mixed energies off-putting.
Pure attribute beings like them would naturally shun impure auras.
“Guess I should register first.”
Plenty of exotic folk, but Rokan zeroed in on the rainbow teleporter.
[Rainbow Teleport: Illusion Demon Realm registered.]
High rep made it a breeze.
Fun part: like ground teleport circles, it linked to other cities in the Spirit Realm or Illusion Demon Realm—not everywhere, but nearby ones.
Plenty of coins, and you could map out the world.
Confirming that, Rokan registered key Illusion Demon Realm hubs without hesitation.
He saved them in his Heavenly Rune Book too, crafting extras when space ran out—no effort spared.
In case hunting dropped rep and locked him out of teleporters.
Once he’d registered the Five Kings’ major cities, shopped a bit, he returned to the starting city.
“Time to loosen up?”
Other big cities had more hunting grounds, but monsters there were too high-level. Average over 430.
Rokan had leveled up plenty and could handle them, but illusory beasts were unknowns.
Better to start on the outskirts to warm up. As his pioneer spot, monsters teemed there.
“How about that way first?”
Rokan hopped on Kai’s back, scanning around. His all-seeing eyes checked monster info, picking targets.
“Unique bunch.”
No plain ones.
As illusory beasts—not known races—they came in all shapes.
Hard to spot traits or weaknesses at a glance.
“Red Meteor.”
Time to clash!
Merged with Kai, Rokan plummeted toward the ground.
Kwarung!
Earth and space crumpled together.
A massive crater formed, explosive force wrapping around them.
But foes were level 400+ elites. They didn’t just take it.
Some mirage-dissolved, others braced defenses to absorb the impact.
But that was it. Rokan, transformed into a giant via Stormwind Incarnation, mercilessly cleaved them with his battle axe.
“Strong.”
Sweeping all nearby enemies, Rokan voiced pure admiration.
New monsters made them trickier, but even without that, they were tough.
Were all illusory beasts this strong? Even outskirts dwellers—even the Five Kings were dizzying to imagine.
He’d have to hunt them someday.
“Spirits won’t be pushovers either.”
The spirits choking out these beasts wouldn’t be easy.
They weren’t aggressive, so no need to pick fights, but who knew with people.
Rokan gauged his level against theirs, adapting to his new powers.
Panda-enhanced stats exceeded expectations.
“Hm?”
Mid-hunt during Stormwind Incarnation’s duration, Rokan sensed something off.
No reputation drop notifications.
Did they not see each other as “kin”? Stroking his chin thoughtfully, Rokan concluded.
“Killing them all should tell me.”