Chapter 392
Chapter 392
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 392
Chapter Title: Ranking War - Preliminaries (4)
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“Hi there? Dragon Slayer’s a first for you, right?”
Rokan flashed a wide grin as he faced the Yellow Dragon.
He’d been planning to hunt it down anyway, but for it to come to him like this—what could be more delightful?
On top of that, the Yellow Dragon’s attribute was earth.
Earth attributes were defined by their toughness.
It boasted higher defense and health than other dragons, but that meant nothing to Rokan.
No, it was more than welcome.
Rokan had a title that pierced defenses, and no amount of health could stand against his overwhelming damage.
Plus, the Dragon Slayer title tripled his attack power against dragons, and the Challenger effect stacked another triple on top.
Rokan was the Yellow Dragon’s natural predator, no exaggeration.
“Filthy human scum. I’ll turn you all to dust!”
“Huh? ‘You all’?”
The Yellow Dragon bellowed in rage at Rokan’s deliberate taunt, laced with genuine intent.
Its dragon fear shook the mountains and forests.
But Rokan just snorted. He’d caught the awkward phrasing.
“What’s this? No free will either?”
A dragon of Yellow Dragon caliber without even a proper name was odd enough, but to think it was just a “monster dragon” programmed with scripted info.
What a letdown.
Spouting preset lines and following fixed patterns—like a “dragon puppet.” It deflated the thrill.
Made him feel like he was bullying a dragon, not fighting one.
His head cooled, but his body heated up.
With primary stabilization complete, he unleashed his restored full power.
“Gale Incarnation, Blood Awakening, Martial Soul Awakening!”
Just like after Mission 1, Mission 2’s end granted full recovery, so no need to hold back on skills.
He charged at full throttle from the start.
“Earthquake!”
The earth trembled instantly at the Yellow Dragon’s dragon tongue spell.
Fissures split the ground, horrific shockwaves radiating toward all who stood upon it.
But Rokan had anticipated it, wings of gale already unfurled.
“Kai!”
Kyuuut!
[Elemental Big Bird Kai used Tetra Elemental on King of Violence Rokan.]
[You gain immunity to all attribute attacks for a set duration.]
Summoned in place of the unicorn, Kai read Rokan’s intent and activated his creation skill.
Unlike the Red Dragon, the Yellow Dragon’s attribute attacks packed heavy physical force, but immunity was still better than nothing.
“Stone Edge!”
A massive boulder summoned above Rokan’s head.
“Quit messing around!”
Kwaang!
He swung upward with Strike of Ruin.
The hill-sized rock shattered in one blow, breaking into house-sized chunks that tumbled across the ground.
“Full Body Charge, Blink!”
Kwaang!
Before the Yellow Dragon could cast again, its body lurched.
Despite the size difference, Rokan’s charge was superior, shaking the beast’s massive frame and drawing a pitiful screech.
“Too predictable.”
The struck Yellow Dragon flailed and took to the air.
Seems it was programmed to evade skyward after heavy melee hits.
But Rokan wouldn’t let it have its way.
“Kai!”
Kyuuuuwuuu! Kwaang!
Kai transformed into a red meteor and plummeted faster than the dragon could climb.
It smashed headfirst into the ground.
Rokan, tangled with it, got buried too, but no issue.
He’d expected it, and lost health meant nothing to him.
Rokan rose first, barely escaping the crushing bulk, and targeted its neck.
“Wild Slaughter!”
No need for Super Extreme. Ruthless axe blows severed the neck, exposing the neatly nestled dragon heart.
“Blurg……克.”
“Tch, annoying.”
But dragons were dragons after all? The writhing beast suddenly attempted spatial transfer.
Just a blink-range shift within sight, but it saved the dangling dragon heart from the mangled throat.
“Critical Wounds!”
“Great Healing.”
It cast recovery instantly, but Rokan was a beat faster. His unfamiliar curse disrupted the healing.
Healing tried to regenerate skin and flesh, but the curse kept wounds gaping and halved the effect.
The heart barely half-buried in flesh—that was the limit.
“Bro, no time, so quit fussing and let’s end this quick!”
That’s all. Even full recovery wouldn’t matter; he’d just carve more. But Rokan wouldn’t wait.
Goooong.
He pitied the fool prepping breath after stupidly gaining distance, then hurled himself straight at it.
“Kai!”
Kyuu! Peuruk!
As condensed mana surged from its maw toward Rokan, Kai’s body slam struck its cheek.
Dragons were the strongest race, but Kai was a 400-level peer, evolved by Legendary Rider’s effect.
Its great peng size rivaled the dragon, sending the Yellow Dragon tumbling messily, spewing mana wildly in all directions.
“Dumbasses gotta get hit.”
Puhwak!
Rokan slipped in like an assassin, hacking the dragon heart like chopping firewood, bathing in its blood.
“Wish I had a slot.”
Slight regret at no remaining slots for Ghoul’s heart-eating, but absorbing this dragon heart would’ve been a waste anyway. Not a Majesty Master—just a mere Grand Master. Felt off using it.
Better this way. He pulverized the heart.
[Mission 2 complete. Points from hunted monsters tallied. If died 3+ times, rank auto-set. Ranks adjustable via future individual ranking wars. Well done.]
Total silence. Yellow Dragon’s death ended Mission 2 early.
Points settled by performance, current rankings displayed.
[Current Group Ranking: 1st]
Naturally, Rokan topped the group. Just among the original thousand, but it’d matter somewhere.
Like seeding for brackets.
Paat.
Vision shifted; all teleported to a new place.
[Mission 3 preparing. Rest until other groups finish Mission 2.]
[Full Recovery! All health, mana, status ailments, skill cooldowns restored.]
They’d cleared first, it seemed.
Makes sense—unless intercepting the boss like Rokan, others had to block waves sequentially, taking similar time.
So, how fared the other groups? What difficulties chosen, feats achieved?
Curious ones tried messaging or mailing friends/guildies outside, but anti-cheat blocked all functions.
All they could do was wait.
After a long wait, other groups began arriving.
“Huh?”
“Other teams?”
“What? Last mission together?”
Not one or two. Groups trickled in spaced out, and even with many gathered, no next mission.
‘Starts when all assembled?’
Rokan wandered the massive city—some capital—during wait, but found no info or oddities.
Just that he’d never visited it.
After more waiting, the last team arrived.
Final mission began.
[Mission 3. Rise to highest rank within time limit. Gain Contribution via monster hunts or quests. Trade for combat buffs or ranks like Soldier, Elite, Knight, Knight Captain. Hunting: Exchange hunt tokens from monsters. Good luck.]
[Mission 3 End Time: 12 hours]
[11:59:59]
Final was Contribution grind.
Hunt or quest to buy ranks like soldier to knight captain, ranked by that.
“Personal again? Damn!”
“What’re you waiting for? Go!”
Like Mission 1, most bolted at the alert.
Kill one more for more Contribution, right?
Quests gave it too, but unless special conditions, straight hunting seemed faster for most.
‘Hmm…….’
But Rokan stayed put again.
Reconsidered the mission’s demand.
Maybe pure hunt test, but doubtful. Even if, blind rushing was inefficient sans prep.
Some knew it, forming instant parties for group hunts; others, like Rokan, hit general stores.
“Buy items.”
Bought map, info.
Monsters wouldn’t all drop same hunt tokens, right? Scoped strong/easy prey first.
Still 12 hours left.
A few who’d seen Rokan last-to-start first-to-finish in Mission 1 followed, bought monster type/habitat maps, scattered.
Even with intel, time limits could lag you.
‘Something more…….’
But Rokan still didn’t move.
Knew spots only he could hunt, sure, but gamer instinct tingled.
Something there. Game-changer for this mission.
“Wait……?”
Even the watchers wasting time spying on Rokan had left when his eyes cleared, idea struck.
He turned to gaze somewhere.
The castle.
System demanded highest rank in time limit.
To become top dog in this nameless kingdom—what to do?
Answer was surprisingly close.