Chapter 344
Chapter 344
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 344
Chapter Title: Illusion Demon Realm (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A woman in a dizzyingly revealing outfit.
She was beautiful enough to seem like she was trying to seduce him with her charms, but Rokan didn’t budge an inch. He wasn’t even sure if that was her true form.
‘At least there’s no malice for now.’
If it had any negative effect on him, even an illusion would have been resisted by his Unyielding Will.
Since he was seeing the illusion without any issues, he could be certain that, at least for the moment, the one before him harbored no hostility toward him.
For now, at least.
“Azar?”
“Hehe, I didn’t expect another human to call me by that name.”
“Another? Ah.”
Rokan stared impassively at the creature acting coquettishly, then made a face as if he understood.
The previous one was probably Lion King Gaokan.
Azar gave him an odd look as Rokan remained unmoved, but nothing changed because of it.
Rokan simply gripped his Battle Axe, signaling his wariness, ready to meet her.
“Oh my. You have incredibly strong mental fortitude. Are all ‘visitors’ like that?”
“Who knows? If they were, I wouldn’t be the first to visit this place.”
“Such confidence. But you should be careful. There are many in this heavenly realm far stronger and more aggressive than you can imagine.”
“I’ll handle that myself.”
Rokan spat out words that could offend without hesitation, but Azar didn’t look upset.
Instead, she seemed intrigued by his attitude, flashing a bright smile.
“Hmm, then I suppose this frivolity is unnecessary.”
Whoosh.
Had she given up on enchanting him with her beauty?
With a flick of her hand, the surroundings changed once more. The flower field was replaced by a room with an antique table and chairs.
“Sit.”
Her form changed as well. From the alluring, seductive woman to a muscular male figure.
He resembled a demon, yet gave off a different aura.
“Were you pretending to be a woman?”
“It wasn’t pretending. I’m neither male nor female.”
“Hmm, I see.”
He asked if she wasn’t embarrassed to have flirted in a woman’s body, but she was unfazed. Illusion beasts were born from illusions by nature. Distinctions like male or female held little meaning for them.
Of course, some reproduced through mating, but hermaphrodites, eunuchs, or asexual forms weren’t unusual.
Rokan understood this instantly and relaxed his expression. Such things meant nothing now.
“You came looking for me?”
“I just wanted to see you once. After all, aren’t you the first visitor to set foot in this Illusion Demon Realm? I sent five, but only one returned.”
“I don’t have a hobby of bowing to those who bare their teeth. You want to make an issue of it?”
It hardly seemed like a conversation between someone who had just entered the transcendent realm and a being one step above, but Rokan was bold. Surprisingly, Azar accepted it calmly.
Probably because he’d dealt with Gaokan before. That one definitely had the power to handle even 450-level beings without fear.
“No, I dislike rude ones too.”
Boom!
At that moment, the head of the illusion beast Rokan had dragged along exploded.
Before he could react, Azar had crushed her subordinate’s head with a single blow.
Rokan had thought her somewhat useful, enough to send on errands, but he was mildly surprised by Azar’s decisive action. Yet her expression remained serene.
“If she was rude, I apologize. I truly just wanted to see you.”
It might have softened his heart to see such a being admit fault and apologize so readily, but Rokan’s expression hardened further. He closed off his mind and stayed on guard.
Her title was Ruler of Illusory Dreams.
It meant she was insidious by nature. And hadn’t she been up to tricks from the start? Rokan decided not to take anything she said at face value.
“So, what do you think now that you’ve seen me?”
“As you said, you truly live up to being the first to step here. Even compared to that Gaokan fellow I met before, you’re not lacking. Haha, the heavens might be turned upside down because of this.”
“Did you call me here to spout such nonsense?”
“No, no. That was just my honest impression. You seem overly guarded. If anything, I’m grateful to you. Thanks to you, I’ve gained a connection to the visitors.”
“Connection? Ah, that.”
It was probably about the summoner class.
He didn’t know what she gained from linking visitors and illusion beasts, but Azar seemed genuinely pleased.
“Then how about a reward?”
“That’s a good idea. Is there anything you want?”
Staring at Azar’s face—whether smiling purely or slyly—Rokan couldn’t decide what to ask for.
Should he request an item? Or demand an alliance?
With his lack of information on the Illusion Demon Realm, it was hard to gauge immediate value.
“What I want... How about this?”
After much deliberation, Rokan finally gave his answer.
“Oh? That’s interesting.”
Azar’s reaction was positive too.
She hadn’t expected such a request, but upon hearing the details, she showed considerable interest.
“Fine, I accept.”
This was Azar’s territory. The moment she agreed, it took effect.
For precision, a contract was needed, but that was simple.
Rokan drafted the contract with practiced skill, and she signed it willingly. It officially took effect.
[Commercial activity is now possible in the Illusion Demon Realm: Land of Illusory Dreams.]
What Rokan had demanded was assurance of commercial rights.
Glancing around, the shopkeepers were all intelligent illusion beasts, but Rokan had wedged himself into their midst.
At most, he could open one shop slot per city for now, but that was enough. Korea style could handle the rest.
‘I can just build it taller.’
Land size was limited, but no limit on height? Stack it high, then.
With his mind made up, items to sell came to mind.
He didn’t know the exact difference between summons and pets, but items updated for summons on the surface—like gear for illusion beasts to maintain and strengthen themselves, even beauty products.
Given that their wares were very basic, this could yield surprisingly high profits.
“Now, shall we get to the main point?”
“Main point? I don’t want anything from you.”
But that was for later. Now was time for the real deal.
Azar hesitated at his directness, but Rokan thought differently. He’d gained bits of info touring cities via the rainbow teleporter.
The five kings ruling the Illusion Demon Realm weren’t on friendly or cooperative terms.
They competed to expand influence, sometimes fighting—usually over territory.
So, didn’t that leave room for Rokan to intervene?
“Pick a region, and I’ll clean it up for you.”
“Clean it up...”
“If the illusion beasts in your target area decrease, you gain indirectly, right?”
“Hoo.”
Azar naturally took interest as he spoke like he knew it all.
In truth, Azar’s region—reliant on mental skills—was easiest, but the exp was poor. No need to grind here.
The spirits wanted ‘illusion beasts’ hunted, right? So Rokan made the deal with Azar.
“Well, if you don’t want it, I’ll go to another.”
But the offer wasn’t exclusive to Azar. To Rokan, illusion beasts were just prey, location irrelevant.
“Are you daring to threaten me?”
Offended by the proposal, Azar surged with power.
The scenery shifted to a hellscape roiling with infernal flames.
“Want to try it?”
Rokan didn’t back down. His power fell short, but he radiated a readiness to charge.
Fighting now meant certain loss. He couldn’t use Blood Awakening again.
Mu-hon Awakening might let him escape, but not defeat her.
But Rokan had a ‘next.’ As a visitor, he could revive endlessly.
Worst case, die once and revenge properly later.
Who’d be in trouble if Rokan rampaged?
Knowing that, he could unleash madness without yielding.
The shop rights might go to waste, but so what?
Same terms to another king, or no shops—he was rich enough.
Crackle!
Their auras clashed, space screaming.
Yet neither relented.
In the tense standoff, Azar withdrew first.
“As expected, no ordinary fool. You’re hiding something, huh? Fine, you win. Let’s do it.”
She admitted defeat in a fruitless power struggle and took Rokan’s hand.
“Shall we start negotiations, then?”
Heh.
Having prevailed, Rokan smirked slyly. As one of the Illusion Demon Realm’s kings, there’d be plenty to gouge.
They delved deep into contract terms for a while.
When the talk ended, a quest arrived before Rokan.
[Secret Alliance][Quest]
You have formed a secret pact with the King of Illusory Dreams, Azar. Assist in expanding her forces and earn rewards.
-Completion Conditions: Hunt 400+ level illusion beasts in designated region
-Completion Rewards:
1. Scaled rewards based on number of qualifying illusion beasts hunted
2. Additional rewards for soldier or executive-class illusion beasts
3. Additional rewards based on contribution in faction wars
4. 10% increased EXP gain during quest
5. Massive EXP upon completion
A quest with five types of rewards.
Not a jackpot since rewards scaled with effort, but stacked with the Spirit Realm guardian quest?
EXP alone was huge, and one act fulfilled both quests’ conditions. Tempting.
“Good. Which area do you want cleared?”
“Hmm, right here.”
“Here? Here?”
Azar’s pointed location was utterly unexpected. Rokan asked again in surprise.
‘What the hell is this mad bastard thinking?’
But the quest window had updated. From Azar’s firm smile, no intent to change. Rokan felt an inexplicable chill.