Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Mutated Monsters (2)
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Critical hit followed by a bleed effect!
Bleed not only dealt continuous damage but also hindered recovery, so the Blade Mine fragment would take Rokan's attack power to the next level.
That was precisely why Rokan had targeted the tricky Blade Mine among the five mutants.
Of course, he hadn't expected the item he wanted to drop right from the start.
“This time, I'm really lucky.”
With a pleased smile, he checked the quest window. The mutated monster confirmation had changed from 0/3 to 1/3.
The original blade claw dancers had no such thing as a boss monster anyway.
“Still, I need to hurry.”
The remaining two types of monsters he had his eye on were simpler than this one. Time was the only issue. Without a dedicated capsule suit yet, his login time limit was cutting it close.
After quickly clearing one more hunting ground to fill the quest completion conditions to 2/3, Rokan logged out and returned to reality.
“Bunch of sloppy idiots.”
He didn't know who had let it slip, but specific hints on how to reach the third city were already popping up sporadically online.
It didn't seem like someone had deliberately spread it, but it looked like carelessness had gotten them caught. Or maybe they had shared it within their guild and it leaked out.
With everyone desperately searching for ways to the third city, it wouldn't be all that strange even if they got spotted without realizing.
“Numbers will swell soon enough.”
The method had been revealed not just in Crossroads but in multiple regions, and while there were slight differences depending on race or area, all the travel methods were generally similar. Soon enough, third-city pioneers would start appearing in the other regions too.
“Good thing I got my preparations done in advance.”
The silver lining was that he had already finished preparing to welcome them.
While they repeated grind after grind on false info, feeding coins into the vending machine, he could widen the gap even further.
Rokan thought of his next plans as he searched for some information.
Famous guilds and individuals from his past life.
“Can't do anything about those bastards.”
Thanks to the enhanced gear he had distributed, quite a few had made it to the third city early. But the top dogs were the top dogs, and their control hadn't gone anywhere.
Some variables had cropped up, but those who had shone before were mostly pulling ahead quickly.
Since they weren't in the same region, false info alone wouldn't pin them down—disrupting them properly was no easy task.
“Now the real race begins.”
In that sense, the true race was just getting started.
With various races meeting, merging into single guilds or banding together for synergy, repeating the process as they grew rapidly—this was the true start of competition, and the time to pull even further ahead.
“Looking forward to it.”
An excited smile crept across his lips.
* * *
Logging back into The Lord, Rokan headed straight for Crossroads.
He needed to sort the items piled up in the vending machine, and it was on the route to his next destination anyway.
“They're doing well.”
The shop he found while stealthed was already bustling with a fair number of people.
As if it were the only way, they were hunting the monsters Rokan had intended, selling the byproducts, and grinding away.
An unintended rumor that “trading a lot with the shop helps with reputation grinding” had spread, boosting its popularity even more.
Thanks to that, profitable byproducts were stacked high, and the consumables—marked up several times over—had dwindled quite a bit.
After pulling out items and restocking, Rokan slipped out and rode east.
‘Almost there.’
The final mutant was a pack of ‘murlocs’ inhabiting the seaside.
They looked like mutant fish monsters, but oddly, they split into two classes.
Shamans and rogues.
A combination that didn't seem to match at first glance, but that's what made them tricky.
Charge blindly at the shamans unleashing curses and spells, and you'd get knifed by a stealthed murloc rogue.
That potentially made them trickier than even the blade claw dancers, but Rokan had something to rely on.
‘Blessing of the Half-Spirit. Would've been tough without this.’
The Blessing of the Half-Spirit raised all elemental resistances by 10%.
Here, 10% didn't mean adding 10% to your existing magic defense. It could just as well be seen as reducing enemy magic attack power by 10%.
From 0% to 100%. Of course, actually reaching 100% was so hard that even in his past life, no user had achieved it, but rumors swirled that hitting 100% would grant immunity to all magical effects except high-tier spells.
With 10% resistance to all elements, Rokan would take only about 90% damage even if hit by magic barehanded.
“Let's see…….”
Arriving at the murloc habitat, Rokan first scouted the terrain. As a mid-game hunting ground that stayed popular even later, the murloc habitat had a standard layout but frequent changes.
“About six visible for now?”
Right away, it was the ‘giant clams’ the murlocs farmed.
The habitat was divided into shipwrecks and farms. Shipwrecks had a chance for normal-to-rare grade items from ‘treasure chests,’ while farms had giant clams dropping ‘mana pearls.’
Rokan's eyes lit up at the giant clams.
Treasure chests could yield rare gear up to level 130-140 if lucky, but giant clams offered high chances for pricey mana pearls—and a low chance for the iridescent pearl.
Mana pearls fetched good prices as gems and crafting materials, but iridescent pearls, when crushed into powder and applied to the body, temporarily boosted elemental resistances.
They were highly useful for combat support beyond just selling.
‘If I can stock up enough iridescent pearls……. I can break through there too.’
That was why Rokan was after the iridescent pearls. To tackle Crossroads' secret dungeon, which required high elemental resistances!
He knew the location but hadn't attempted it yet due to the magic attacks—now he was preparing to conquer it.
“First, secure the clam spots.”
Giant clams were few in number and spawned randomly, but it wasn't a worry. Rokan was the only user hunting here right now.
Plus, their respawn wasn't slow, so as long as he steadily cleared the murlocs, he could farm honey efficiently.
Set a fixed route, move in circles or squares, and take out all murlocs and giant clams along the path.
“No need to go into the water.”
The issue was that most giant clams were half-submerged, heads poking out.
To pry them open meant swimming, and in water where movement was restricted, he could get caught by a murloc shaman and spell-locked.
So Rokan skipped the submerged giant clams. Given their respawn rate, he could keep grinding without targeting every single one.
He memorized a beachside spot and headed there.
And one more thing—he layered on a ragtag mechanical vest.
[Ragtag Mechanical Vest][Superior]
A mechanical vest that defends against one physical enemy attack. Blocks any hit in your place and gets destroyed.
-Defends against 1 attack below a certain level
-Auto-destroys on effect activation
It cost dozens of silver just in materials, but Rokan didn't skimp. He needed to raise his engineering skill proficiency anyway, and murloc rogue attack power was that threatening.
If hit by a burst all at once, even Rokan could take serious damage.
‘But if it buys even a moment…….’
Block just once and get reaction time, and it was a different story.
Guard, smash with brute force, or even Berserk—plenty of ways to counter.
[Corrupted Murloc Shaman][Lv 141]
“Leaf Attack, Critical Strike!”
With over 20 levels difference and who knew how many stealthed, Rokan charged the spot without hesitation.
He focused his strength and smashed down on the murloc shaman's crown.
Shrieeek!
The rotten-fish-headed murloc shaman's skull caved in instantly.
Low-HP caster taking combo skill damage—even with 30+ levels difference, it was one-shot, one-kill.
Gurgle!
But he couldn't let his guard down. As the shaman's head burst, a murloc rogue broke stealth from behind.
Its small but sharp dagger sliced through the air toward Rokan's nape.
“Hmph!”
Rokan wasn't one to underestimate. As if expecting it, he pivoted lightly and backhanded the rogue. Too close for a proper swing, so he used the axe handle like a club.
Gwaak!
One hit caved in half the murloc rogue's head to the shape of the axe handle.
Eye bulging out, spewing slime from its mouth, but still alive.
Rokan's expression hardened as he stomped.
“Strike!”
Skill-boosted strength applied not just to hands and weapons. He drove his weighted heel into the mashed head.
A short swing of the battle axe cleaved between the flattened head and body.
Gurgle! Gurgle!
Then, three murloc rogues charged at once.
As an untouched hunting ground, the field monsters were plentiful.
“Guard!”
All bursting from stealth made it threatening, but Rokan responded calmly.
Guard flared—left arm deflected one dagger, right-hand battle axe pulled in to block another.
[Ragtag Mechanical Vest destroyed by murloc rogue.]
The last one he tanked with his body.
He hadn't expected to use it so soon, but given the murloc rogues' focus on single bursts, it wasn't a waste. Especially since this last attack was their combo skill.
Curse of the Deep Sea.
This combo stacking debuffs on stabbed foes would've been a huge hunting hindrance if it landed.
‘Best is not getting hit at all.’
Thanks to the opening, Rokan triggered his skill immediately. To send the three charging rogues flying in one go.
“Twist Attack!”
Force had activated the moment combat started. Caught in the power vortex, the murlocs' flesh tore as they wailed.
It didn't end in one hit. Using the momentum, he spun three full rotations in place before stopping.
“Whew.”
Not a single one left unscathed. Bodies shredded or dangling limbs, barely standing.
“Slippery bastards!”
Rokan swung his battle axe to finish them off.
If they weren't frail shaman and rogue classes, it might've been a real hassle.
With levels up, their HP had ballooned too—without crits, one-shotting wasn't feasible.
Of course, good crits would melt them instantly.
“Alright, let's crack it open.”
Confirming no more incoming enemies, Rokan calmly approached a giant clam.
‘Iridescent pearl, iridescent pearl…….’
Pry open this massive mouth, and he'd see what was inside.
“Damn.”
But forcing it open revealed nothing inside. No iridescent pearl, not even a mana pearl.
Rokan's face crumpled. Well, since when had he been lucky…….
[Nothing found.]
As that thought crossed his mind, a translucent window popped up.
[In Search of the Lion King's Traces][Quest]
The Lion King's sealed helmet has sensed some power of its kind. Find and uncover its true nature.
Completion Conditions:
Rewards: