Chapter 386
Chapter 386
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 386
Chapter Title: White Dragon (4)
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Crack! Crackle!
The Heart-Devouring Demon Sword was exposed to the intense chill bursting from the Dragon Heart. In the blink of an eye, from blade to hilt, it was blanketed in white frost, trembling as if it might shatter at any moment.
Yet, whether empowered by its master or already tasting the White Dragon's power, the quivering subsided, and the rate at which it absorbed energy surged.
Even so, for that brief span of mere dozens of seconds, it felt like an eternity to Rokan. His opponent was none other than a dragon, after all.
He couldn't afford to let his guard down for even a few seconds against a race that could wreak unknown havoc if given the slightest freedom.
'Is it over?'
But the feared counterattack never came.
When had a being like a dragon ever felt such pain—the agony of its heart shattering and tearing apart?
Moreover, its arms were too short to pry out Rokan, who had burrowed deep inside its body.
Kyuuu!
Kai's relentless pecking and circling harassment around the silent beast must have played a part too.
Just as it fell into complete silence, a barrage of notifications appeared simultaneously.
[The Heart-Devouring Demon Sword devours the heart of the White Dragon Elisana, who was losing her name.]
[The power dwelling in the target's heart and soul is absorbed.]
[The blood of the White Dragon, who was losing her name, is absorbed.]
[The power of Absolute Freeze settles into your body.]
The results of devouring the heart manifested immediately.
Even as it was infused with the freezing power that persisted after the White Dragon's death, he felt no discomfort—quite the opposite, a soothing calm.
It was thanks to the power of Absolute Freeze.
'Surely it doesn't end with just boosted resistance?'
The moment that doubt arose, the second notification appeared.
[Impossible feat! You have acquired the power of Absolute Freeze.]
[Title 'Power of Frost' acquired.]
[Power of Frost][Legend]
All your actions are infused with frosty energy due to harboring the power of Absolute Freeze.
[Effects]
-All attacks gain 50% additional freeze attribute attack power
-On hit or when approaching within range, [Frost] effect triggers
-Targets exposed to Power of Frost have movement speed and attack speed reduced by 30%
-Stacked exposure to Power of Frost reduces movement speed and attack speed by up to 80%
-Water (水) and Ice (氷) attribute attacks nullified
-Power of Frost can be toggled on/off at will
-Special skill [Frozen Field] usable
A title acquisition right away!
Simultaneously with obtaining the Legend-grade title came a fearsome buff.
Not only did all attacks gain freeze attributes, but an aura that exposed foes to frost merely by approaching unfurled.
On top of that, he gained a special skill to instantly freeze the surroundings.
Rokan recognized its nature at once.
It was a degraded version of the divine power the White Dragon had wielded.
It might seem mismatched for him, akin to magic or miracles, but used well, it could serve as a trump card.
Freezing an opponent right before a clash, up close—wouldn't that at least create an opening?
It paled compared to the White Dragon's version since he couldn't yet wield divinity, but that single moment's gap would suffice.
Whether Gwangsal or Cha-geuk, landing it would end things.
'But losing her name?'
Rokan, smirking in satisfaction, tilted his head as he recalled the earlier notification.
Had the White Dragon developed dementia? As he pondered the oddity—her name not appearing even under the All-Piercing Eye—the third notification arrived.
[Level up.]
[Massive amount of divinity acquired.]
Level up!
As expected, one step closer to Majesty Master.
Moreover, an immense divinity, incomparable to what he'd gained from hunting mere level 400s, was absorbed into his body.
He couldn't gauge it precisely without mastery over divinity, but a dragon's worth was undoubtedly vast.
'A whole level up.'
Grinning at his experience bar, now filled to the brim from all monsters faced en route to the White Dragon's lair combined, Rokan was at level 443. Just 7 levels shy of Majesty Master.
If a promotion quest appeared at 449 again, only 6 remained.
So, which prey would get him there fastest?
The first answer lay nearby.
Crack! Crackle!
The mercenaries, barely twitching in attempts to regenerate, came into view. Powerhouses like Titan, all level 400 and above.
Killing them would incur massive compensation payouts, but that didn't matter.
Hadn't Rokan set out to hunt the White Dragon fully accounting for their total annihilation?
"Sorry."
Whoosh. Clang.
An icy head rolled across the ground.
Immense divinity and experience poured from their bodies into Rokan.
"Now just four left? Hmm, that's manageable."
[Dragon Killer][Quest]
You who claimed the glorious name of Dragon Slayer, prove your feat was no fluke.
-Success condition: Dragon kills 3/7
-Success reward: ???
He steeled himself, checking the quest conditions now nearly half complete.
Experience barely rose from level 400 monsters anyway. Why not hunt only dragons?
By completing Dragon Killer, might he reach Majesty Master?
'Was Gaokan in a similar spot?'
Suddenly understanding Gaokan's past situation, Rokan mused. Probably much the same.
Promotion to Majesty Master within reach, yet viable prey all tied to factions like celestials or demons—touching them risked war.
Better to hunt dragons like this than scrape experience from level 400 small fry, no?
Unlike Rokan, Gaokan had but one life, but he wasn't one to fear such things.
'But he reached Majesty Master in the end.'
And ultimately, he attained the realm of Majesty Master.
Little contact since, but he'd likely amassed considerable divinity by now.
Anticipation mingled with worry.
Succeeding in four more dragons would warrant Majesty Master, but feasibility was iffy.
Hadn't luck heavily favored this White Dragon kill?
If resistance hadn't been his anchor, he'd have been frozen solid, never to awaken—dragons at Majesty Master level were that formidable.
Could he win a rematch?
Hunting them sequentially in such conditions? No confidence there.
'Then there's no reason I can't?'
Worry sparked defiance, surging confidence.
If Gaokan did it, why not him?
Fire blazed in Rokan's eyes.
His mind whirred with swift calculations.
"First, grab the loot."
He paused, opened his inventory, and swept up the lair's piles of items, coins, and gold.
Uniques, Epics, Legends flooded his inventory or fed the Demon God's Fang Belt.
Crunch crunch crunch.
[Demon God's Fang Belt grows one stage via Predatory Growth effect.]
Thus, the Demon God's Fang Belt advanced another stage. Stat boosts increased, and now it gained magic resistance too.
And one more: [Evil Spirit Domination] morphed into [Soul Domination]. Not limited to ghostly forms—it could dominate souls of lesser beings.
Still unreliable against level 400+ at less than 100% success, but satisfactory. Range expanded, power grew—that was fact.
Other curiosities abounded, but intriguing ones went straight to inventory. Useful someday.
Having bolstered his Dragon Slayer title once more, Rokan activated a return scroll and headed to town.
No need to boast; all would know once the eternal snows began to melt.
That the White Dragon, long source of their terror, was gone.
Back in the city, Rokan paid compensation and ransoms at the mercenary guild for his hires, then left.
Their levels demanded astronomical sums, but mere drops compared to the lair's treasures.
Exiting the city, Rokan silently scouted his next prey.
'Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold?'
Assessing remaining dragons' attributes, he selected his target.
Coolly analyzing self and foe, he decided.
"Kai, let's go!"
Using the Free City's Rainbow Teleporter, he warped near his destination, summoned Kai, and took to the skies with fierce wingbeats.
***
Rokan and Kai arrived in a lava lake region, where the ground boiled with geothermal heat and sauna-like air hung heavy.
Even from the farthest city accessible via Rainbow Teleporter post-Free Citizen registration, it was distant—but astride greatpeng-Kai, they arrived in half a day.
A village existed here too.
The terrain precluded a full city; small-to-medium settlements housed fire-resistant races. Rokan considered hiring them as before, then dropped it.
'No time.'
Time was short.
His goal: reach level 449 before the next auction.
That meant at least one dragon every three days—recruiting took a full day alone.
Large groups required matching gear and conditions; some races like Titan needed special terms, preventing instant hunts.
"Let's go, Kai."
Rokan abandoned mercenaries.
Just him and Kai charging toward Duomu Volcano, home of the Red Dragon.
[Wings of Stormwind effect negates negative terrain effects.]
Lava zone penalties? None for him, with terrain-ignoring gear.
Kai's resistances were formidable too, unfazed—faster with two anyway.
"Straight to it would be nice, but..."
Fly right in, bypass the monster barriers around its lair?
Tempting, but Rokan didn't.
Leveling itself mattered more than the Dragon Killer quest.
"Time for the grind."
Rokan and Kai's hunt—for pure levels—began.