Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Live Broadcast (3)
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Provocation.
It was a universal language across all nations, and the chat exploded in excitement while the opponent blew up in rage.
He'd dragged his entire guild along for a sure victory, but he was confident he wouldn't lose one-on-one against Rokan either. Being treated like this lit a fire under him.
"Let's see how long you can stay so full of yourself!"
As if to prove himself, he charged straight at Rokan.
'Nothing special.'
But Rokan's evaluation was cold.
He didn't know where or how famous the guy was, but his stance and speed were amateurish.
He might have leveled up quickly, but it wasn't anything outstanding.
'Is it because the time hasn't come yet?'
Those who made names for themselves later were probably challenging something right now.
Clang!
Rokan casually swatted away the swiftly incoming sword, and Tide's arm flew back like it had popped out of its socket.
"Eek!"
Was he embarrassed? Gritting his teeth, the guy shifted sideways, lowering his stance. He must have figured his heavy two-handed weapon gave him an edge in power over speed.
"Huh."
The guy, trying to sweep at Rokan's legs with his longsword, swallowed empty air and collapsed to his knees. Faster than that, Rokan's battle axe was coming down to split his head.
Splurt!
Tide's crumbling stance caused Rokan's axe to miss its mark on his head, slicing into his shoulder instead.
"Not bad."
Baring his white teeth in a grin, Rokan looked like he deserved a spit in the face, but Tide poured a dark potion over his gaping shoulder wound, creating distance with all his might and steadying his stance.
"Ugh, that's dirty!"
"Pig bastard, what'd you expect? Knew it!"
"Rokan! Let's have a pork belly party!"
The spectating Golden Lion faction users jeered at the sight.
Even though Rokan had waited, charging back fully healed after a fatal wound didn't look good.
"I'll fight you for real now!"
But Tide just shot them a laser-like glare and ignored them. Bulking up his orc warrior muscles, he poured everything into his next move.
"Dancing Blades!"
What he unleashed was a combo skill.
Dancing Blades was a technique that dazzled the opponent with sword strikes so fast they left afterimages.
Later on, illusion sword skills like Phantom Blade would become common, and this was in that same vein.
It was an attack that could fluster and disorient those still weak to combat.
Tide had scored plenty of wins with it before, but this time his opponent was Rokan.
'Oh ho.'
Rokan was merely intrigued that the guy had managed this level of combo skill, watching leisurely without moving. Someone might mistake it for him freezing up.
"Die, you retard!"
"Guard."
Rokan moved only when the guy's sword was right in his face.
Activating the Guard skill, which doubled his defense, he thrust his hand straight into the flurry of blades.
Clang!
The low attack amplification typical of illusion sword skills couldn't even scratch Rokan's arm. Instead, Tide's body jolted like he'd struck rock, unable to follow up.
"That all?"
Thud!
"Cough!"
What dug into Tide's solar plexus wasn't the axe blade but Rokan's toe. Even so, it choked the breath out of him, leaving him dazed.
"Shoulder Charge!"
Boom!
Crushing into Tide's bent waist was Rokan's pauldron, infused with the power of Force.
That heavy blow caved in the guy's head and sent it bouncing like a soccer ball.
Hard to believe it had collided with a person.
"Barrage!"
Finally, watching the hand axe burst the guy's head open, everyone recalled one fact.
In this clash, Rokan hadn't once used his main weapon, the battle axe.
He hadn't even needed to draw a weapon against Ash Town's ranker, Tide.
"Now that the pest is gone, time to get back to it."
Grinning like the Grim Reaper, Rokan leaped toward the remaining enemies.
* * *
The forums, SNS, live channels.
Everywhere was in an uproar.
Rokan flaunting a rare weapon around his neck was big news already, but single-handedly wiping out a guild and demolishing Ash Town's ranker Tide sent interest skyrocketing.
Thanks to that, Rokan's live channel was packed so full the chat was illegible.
"I can't shout out every one, but thank you for the donations."
Donations—called superchats—were pouring in too.
Not just Crossroad users hunted by the Black Dragon Legion, but fans of his playstyle sent everything from small change to over a million won nonstop.
Rokan, who already had no money worries from video ad revenue and shop sales, wasn't about to turn down free cash.
Money was always better the more you had, especially for the future.
'Might move to a bigger, comfier place. Nah, no need to go out, so forget the luxury car.'
Once the ad revenue settled, he was even thinking of relocating to something wider and nicer.
'This much should be enough to scout a video production company.'
And he didn't forget to lay groundwork for the future.
What he needed most was an setup that let him focus on The Lord while outsourcing video editing and grabbing short naps.
[Rokan has killed Cocoon, earning 1 merit point.]
[Merit points held: 504]
Even lost in side thoughts, his merit points kept climbing nonstop.
Normal users couldn't handle even his mechanical movements.
"Rokan, watch out! They're coming in a horde!"
Then, a self-proclaimed fan spectating the fights delivered welcome news.
"Almost 200 of them! You should dodge for now..."
A whopping 200!
Maybe even more—users solely out to kill Rokan were mobilizing.
"Thanks. Which way?"
"Uh, they just crossed the gray zone..."
Any other person would panic, but Rokan stayed calm. No, he was secretly thrilled.
It might terrify others, but to him, it was merit point bundles delivering themselves.
"Open merit shop."
[The merit shop is now open. Purchase desired items using merit points.]
"Badge of Honor, buy."
Confirming he still had time before they arrived, Rokan opened the merit shop.
He boldly spent all his accumulated merit points on one item.
[Badge of Honor][Magic]
A badge of the honorable warrior. The bearer can elevate their honor.
-Hold to gain Fame based on exploits
-Hold to gain extra merit points
The Badge of Honor was also called a fame amplifier.
It cost 500 merit points, but it boosted future merit gains and increased Fame stats with every enemy faction kill—solid long-term value.
Normally he'd buy a stronger honor weapon than regular drops, but with his immediate enchanting and crafting options, it held no appeal.
"Time to rake in a real haul."
Prepped, Rokan headed to Crossroad first. He needed to restock consumables, but also complete a sidelined quest.
"You're already this strong? Hm, visitors' growth is truly astonishing. Fine, I can trust an effort like yours."
[You have earned the trust of Crossroad Guard Captain Malkin.]
Hitting level 150 and fulfilling Guard Captain Malkin's request granted his trust as reward.
And crucially, it unblocked the stalled main scenario quest.
"Listen up now. I investigated those mutants you told me about, and that was just the beginning. Some have already fully mutated. Far stronger than mutants, with bizarre powers. We call them 'Corrupted Monsters.'"
Rokan already knew, but listened intently.
In response, Malkin leaned in with secretive details.
"We've captured some for study, but these things shouldn't exist in this world. So if you encounter Corrupted Monsters, kill them and bring back their eyeballs. Their pupils glow green—easy to spot."
[Acquired information on Corrupted Monsters.]
[You can now distinguish Corrupted Monsters.]
[Kill Corrupted Monsters and bring proof to the investigation team for fitting rewards.]
[Additional rewards for gathering and reporting Corrupted Monster info.]
Corrupted Monster proof was extra income.
It doubled as a quest item—needing a certain amount unlocked the next main scenario quest—but the rewards alone were worthwhile.
'The real perk is cherry-picking the eyes.'
But best was being able to identify them.
Corrupted Monsters dropped better items than normals, even bosses sometimes.
[A Fair Share][Quest]
Find and kill at least 1 Corrupted Monster to prove your worth.
-Completion: Kill Corrupted Monster (0/1)
-Reward: Additional Corrupted Monster info
Maybe not fully trusting the freshly level 150 Rokan, a quest dropped. Kill one Corrupted Monster, basically.
No material rewards, but fine. All loot from it was Rokan's anyway.
Knowing that, Rokan accepted gladly and headed out.
"Uh, one more thing."
"..."
No, he turned back and whispered secretly to Malkin.
Malkin bulged his eyes at the quiet murmur.
Rokan grinned slyly at the expected reaction.
"Come out and face me, Rokan! Don't hide!"
Moments later, a voice boomed across Crossroad.
Hundreds of undead, orcs, trolls, and goblins camped outside, calling for Rokan.
Started at around 200, but swelled past 300 en route.
"Scared, coward? Show yourself!"
Rokan had apologized to viewers for pausing the live to grab the main scenario quest, promising to resume within an hour anywhere.
To act fast, camping at Crossroad—last broadcast spot—was quickest.
"How dare filthy scum infest this place!"
Then, the north gate of Crossroad swung open.
But it wasn't Rokan who emerged.
Approaching with demonic faces were Malkin and the Crossroad guards.
Excluding level 200 Malkin, each was over 150, charging out in force.
"Wh-what the hell?"
"We haven't attacked the city yet!"
Among the 300+, some had pushed to Crossroad before.
Drunk on momentum, they'd confidently aimed to take it, only to get wiped clean. Spotting the guard emblem, they bolted.
Slim chance, but using the numbers as bait might let some survive.
"Wushu Frenzy!"
But that hope was doomed. Malkin had plunged into their center, carving through allies.
Meanwhile, amid the instant hellscape, Rokan—restarting his live from somewhere—looked utterly serene.
"Sorry for the slight delay. Went a bit far. Most of you haven't seen this before. This is the Black Dragon Legion's third city, Ash Town, facing off against Crossroad."
The broadcast opened on Ash Town, the Black Dragon Legion stronghold opposing Crossroad.