Chapter 367
Chapter 367
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 367
Chapter Title: Motron's Grudge (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Miraculous Achievement! You have slain over 100 divine beasts.]
[You have acquired the title 'Divine Beast Hunter.']
[You are the first to acquire this title.]
[First][Divine Beast Hunter][Epic]
A title bestowed upon those who have hunted over 100 divine beasts.
It grants greater power against beings with divine power. However, relations with those who use divine power will worsen.
You are the first to acquire this title.
[Held Effects]
-Attack power, defense, and resistance increase by 10% when battling beings that use divine power.
-Enemies' attack power, defense, and resistance decrease by 10% when battling beings that use divine power.
-Hostile relations form with beings that use divine power.
"Tch, that seals the deal with the celestials."
Rokan, who had turned the celestials' hunting grounds upside down by slaying a whopping 100 divine beasts, offered a brief impression of his newly acquired title.
Their relations were already poor, but he had hoped the celestials in the new map might be different. Now, recovery seemed impossible.
But it wasn't all bad. The Divine Beast Hunter title clearly wielded powerful effects against celestials and divine beasts, and this hunt had netted him a large haul of divine beast hearts and inner cores.
He pondered eating them but decided to save them for now, like essence of power or soul orbs.
He could consume them later or trade them as before if needed.
They felt like currency more valuable than coins, so he stored them carefully in a corner of his inventory.
"Set archenemy: Celestials."
Instead, he prepared thoroughly against the celestials, whom he might battle anytime. With the archenemy setting now available again after 168 hours, he designated the celestials.
[Archenemy has been set.]
[Archenemy: Celestials confirmed. Archenemy can be changed after 168 hours.]
[All attack power and defense increase by 30% against pure celestials.]
[All attack power and defense increase by 15% against regular celestials.]
"Oh?"
This time, there was a slight difference.
Pure celestials received the usual 30% boost, but regular celestials—those who had merely chosen the celestial faction—got only half, at 15%.
A touch disappointing, but still impressive.
Most powerhouses over level 400 were pure celestials anyway, and while pure celestials were obsessively hostile, regular ones felt reluctantly exiled.
Preparations complete, Rokan readied to depart again.
The divine beasts weren't infinitely numerous, so their numbers had thinned considerably, leaving him thirsting for fiercer battles.
He considered riding Kai but used polymorph to transform into the form of a pure celestial from his memories.
"Summon unicorn."
He summoned a unicorn instead of Kai as his mount.
Unicorns were rare even here—he hadn't seen any in the hunting grounds—but they weren't nonexistent.
Riding this unicorn would also test if they could recognize him.
[Hemild, Celestial Hunting Grounds Keeper][Lv 433]
As he approached the hunting grounds' boundary, a keeper emerged.
'A titan?'
Titan. A giant race sporting the dainty wings of a regular celestial.
The unbalanced sight nearly made him laugh, but Rokan stared indifferently, feigning nonchalance.
"Oh dear, leaving already? I hope the hunt was enjoyable."
"Yeah. You managed it well."
He'd never seen the keeper enter, so what nonsense was this?
Amused inwardly, Rokan played along—social graces demanded it. Probably just standard flattery to avoid trouble.
Hemild bowed repeatedly in thanks, even seeing him off.
Watching a titan—who once sought to destroy the world from the surface—act this way made Rokan wonder if this one's race truly was titan. But no, it matched perfectly.
Was this one unusual, or were the celestials that formidable?
A fleeting doubt, but he passed through.
Beyond the keeper's abode, he headed to the next city.
[You have entered the celestial capital, Milanium.]
"Oh......"
After a long journey, the city was enormous. Buildings, walls—everything gleamed with splendor and grandeur.
A fitting capital for the celestials.
He'd expected a mere metropolis, not the capital itself, but it posed no issue.
Larger cities offered better intel gathering.
With a brief impression, he entered. Familiar sights unfolded.
No different from humans.
That was Rokan's take.
Pure celestials remained the privileged class, as before. Excluding children, all exceeded or neared level 400—astonishing—but daily life differed little.
Regular celestials handled commerce and labor.
Like commoners among humans.
Flashily armored ones strutting about resembled nobles.
Nobles were rare in human society, but in the celestial capital, they were commonplace—logical, like nobles swarming Rokan's imperial palace and capital.
That painted the picture.
'If that's the case, then......'
But it wasn't enough. He roamed the capital discreetly, gathering info without suspicion.
"As expected."
He confirmed their behavior mirrored humans'.
Like humans, pure celestials had hierarchies.
Pure celestials held noble status or higher by default, but subdivided further.
They avoided human titles, using ranks 1 through 6: 1st as royalty, 2nd as dukes, 3rd as marquises, 4th as earls, 5th as viscounts, 6th as barons.
Unranked lumped into 6th.
Level gaps were surprisingly small.
Ranks 1-3 at 450; 4 and below mostly over 400.
Power varied by ability, but levels showed little difference.
Ranks based absurdly on innate nobility.
Typical celestials.
Intensely elitist, they prized ancient bloodlines above all. Even 1st ranks could lack 3rd ranks' combat prowess.
Just like humans? Though Rokan had upended that.
"Even this is the same......"
Amusingly, they weren't content with their ranks.
Power lust wasn't human-only; 'politics' existed here too.
"Well, divinity levels differ."
Absurd, yet understandable. As royalty—1st rank—wouldn't one's divinity naturally elevate?
Personal realms mattered, but status here boosted divinity greatly.
Royalty gained vast divinity just existing.
Surging user influx bolstered them too.
More believers, stronger faithful—divinity swelled automatically.
That explained why pure celestials scorned yet tolerated regular celestials.
"Usable."
Rokan took note.
Battle with celestials was inevitable fate.
But stirring chaos solo amid swarms of Majesty Masters?
Even without divinity, creation skills would stone him like a frog.
Rokan couldn't rampage freely here.
Full force might take one or two down in mutual death, but that's it.
He needed to create divisions. Fracture and scatter them.
Avoiding the capital worked short-term, but unity meant potent forces could hunt him anytime.
Pit celestials against each other, then devour.
Reach level 450, Majesty Master—untouchable.
That goal justified heavy coin investment.
Pure celestials wouldn't sell info, but tavern owners, patrons, and info brokers were mostly regular celestials.
No showing his face, but coins loosened tongues readily.
This was the info hub capital, after all.
'Hah, even spies?'
Some seemed pure celestial spies, but irrelevant. His current form was mere polymorph.
Change guise in days; this face sowed confusion.
"Hmm, so that's it."
Rokan dug into pure celestial faction rivalries.
Excluding harmonious spirit realm allies, illusion and fame realms thrived on others' diminishment—like humans.
Invisible rivalries and intrigues festered among pure celestials.
Hypocritical for such lofty beings.
"Well, the shadier, the dirtier the secrets."
Hadn't Gomtan and celestials allied against him before?
Factions had formed around it.
Studying the hard-won power map, Rokan schemed.
"Heh heh heh, which to poke first......?"
Titles like Divine Beast Hunter doomed him to rejection by all celestial factions, but he was confident.
'Staging chaos? That's my specialty.'
Sinister confidence gleamed in Rokan's eyes.
Plans brewed to upend the celestials' peaceful world.