Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: The Queen Bee's Demise (3)
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‘Whew.’
While Lien was being crushed and chewed to death by the enraged Big Bird's furious pecking, Rokan, who had mounted its nape with a leap attack, gripped its mane tightly. It was still flying, after all.
‘One solid hit would end it simply...’
What he really wanted was to cleave its head with his axe in one swing and smash it into the ground, but regrettably, the Big Bird's vitality was on a monstrous level.
On top of that, all the combo skills it used were the type that boosted its vitality.
Kieeeek! Whoosh.
The Big Bird thrashed wildly to shake him off, so Rokan embedded his axe into the back of its head. The creature convulsed violently, emitting a fierce aura as it began erratic aerobatics.
‘Here it comes.’
This was where the real fight began. The moment he touched the eggs, its first combo skill, ‘Mother's Fury,’ had already activated. A powerful self-buff skill that triggered only when its eggs or chicks were harmed. Thanks to that, its strength had been boosted to nearly match Rokan's.
Rokan kept one hand clenched tight and swung his battle axe in short arcs. Each time the wounds multiplied, the beast's body shuddered, trying to hurl him off.
‘Just don’t fall off.’
As long as he didn’t fall, he could steadily rack up damage and take it down like this. But the instant he hit the ground, its second combo skill, Frenzied Feathers, would turn him into a pincushion.
Knowing that, Rokan lowered his stance even further and continued his safe hunt.
Kweeeh!
Once he whittled its vitality down to about 70%, its final struggle began.
The third combo skill: [Rampage].
A mad skill that doubled its stats but drove it into a frenzy where it destroyed everything indiscriminately, even ignoring its own eggs and chicks.
“Berserk!”
At this point, even Rokan couldn’t hold on in his normal state. He countered with Berserk to endure, pouring more strength into the hand gripping its mane.
He slammed in critical strikes whenever their cooldowns reset, rapidly draining the Big Bird’s vitality.
“Not that way!”
As its vitality plummeted, the Big Bird thrashed in desperation and twisted toward the nest. Rokan yanked with all his might, his back skin nearly ripping, to force it back on course.
That was the very reason he was going through the hassle of taking down the Big Bird.
“Just die already!”
Boom! Boom!
After several more axe strikes atop the dizzyingly bucking neck, the Big Bird’s movements finally slowed. It began plummeting toward the ground.
“Evasion, Bombardment!”
Right before impact, Rokan used Evasion to nullify the fall damage, then unleashed Bombardment to finish it off cleanly.
[You have leveled up.]
Thanks to the greenhouse effect massively boosting its vitality, he cleanly felled the Big Bird. Before Berserk wore off, he hurriedly climbed a tree.
“Phew, it has to be here.”
Back at the nest, Rokan placed his hand on the remaining eggs. One of them reacted.
[Acquire Big Bird Egg?]
The answer was obviously yes. Upon confirmation, one egg vanished into his inventory.
[You have acquired a Big Bird Egg.]
[Keep it in your inventory for a set time, and a Big Bird chick will hatch.]
This was exactly what Rokan had been after.
His first flying mount!
The chick hatched under the greenhouse’s influence would grow to the same massive size as its parent even outside it. Taming it would grant him a flying mount.
It would take some time to reach a size that could carry a person, but since it required no special care, acquiring it now meant he could use it for quite a while.
‘The titles haven’t popped yet.’
On top of that, this was a chance to earn the ‘First Sky Knight’ and ‘First Aerial Combat’ titles. But since it hadn’t hatched yet, they weren’t applying immediately.
“Set safe zone. Regen will take a while anyway, so just get through the first backlash.”
Having obtained everything he wanted, Rokan set up a safe zone and endured the initial backlash.
Then he climbed back down the tree and gleefully started smashing insect monsters again.
“As expected, reliable. Good, pick any plant you want. As thanks for your help, I’ll gift it to you!”
Exactly after filling the quota of 100, he returned to the entrance, where the half-elf NPC who had let him in welcomed him gladly.
Lien, who had died and respawned, was nowhere to be seen. She’d likely been booted out with a massive hit to her affinity and reputation for unauthorized gathering.
It would be tough for her to set foot here again without grinding for a long time.
[You have acquired a Gentle Touch Flower. 1/3]
Rokan’s choice was, naturally, the Gentle Touch Flower.
There were other tempting plants, but hunting 100 mismatched-level monsters each time for one wasn’t efficient.
Plus, it was just an alchemy ingredient, not a finished product. Better to clear it fast and hunt high-level monsters to buy consumables with the gold.
“Then, I’ll be off again.”
Having made his selection, Rokan re-entered the greenhouse and resumed hunting.
With few people knowing about it yet and even fewer hunting here, monsters were plentiful.
To the point where, for Rokan, fertilizing and tending the wilted plants was slower than just hunting to meet the quota.
Repeating this twice more, he finally obtained all three Gentle Touch Flowers needed to complete the racial quest.
‘Now comes the real trouble.’
But the true difficulty started now. The next quest required actually crossing the line.
“First, proper prep.”
Rokan immediately used his rune book to return to Crossroads. He tidied up at the shop and headed to the dwarf blacksmith.
To pick up the gear he’d commissioned.
“Here it is. Not bad, decent stuff came out.”
The reason he’d been using gear from Black Dragon Legion NPCs since hitting level 150: He’d commissioned new gear from the dwarf multiple times, but nothing satisfactory had resulted.
Dwarf-made gear had high base specs, but this blacksmith NPC’s equipment level limit was only 170 in his current state, so higher-level gear was losing its edge.
He couldn’t keep wearing a full low-level set either. Gear from 150 jumped massively in specs.
Thus, the failed 150-level pieces were shelved on the shop’s 2nd and 3rd floors, and finally, today, a new creation emerged.
“Oh, nice.”
For the dwarf to call it decent meant at least magic grade.
Solid base defense, but what really pleased him were the options!
He’d hoped for crit chance, but as pure combat gear, it had hefty strength, agility, and stamina bonuses.
‘Strength, agility, stamina alone makes it top-tier.’
But above all, the rare-grade gloves and chestplate were jackpots.
[Mana Alloy Gloves][Rare]
Gloves made from mana alloy with excellent conductivity. Greatly reduces mana cost when using Force.
-Defense: 330
-Durability: 500/500
-30% reduced mana cost for Force usage.
-15% increased damage for all Force-based attacks
-Strength +47
-Agility +43
-Stamina +48
[Chestplate of the Berserker][Rare]
Armor for berserkers rampaging through enemy lines. Boosts intimidation and fear effects on enemies; grants new power based on consecutive enemy kills.
-Defense: 630
-Durability: 700/700
-Strength +50
-Agility +47
-Stamina +49
-30% increased intimidation and fear effects on enemies
-Attack and defense rise with consecutive enemy kills
Excellent defense, excellent strength/agility/stamina. For 150-level gear, +50 was the peak stat boost, nearly maxed on the chestplate.
But that applied to all gear. A rare item’s value was in its options.
Reduced mana cost for Force—the main mana hog—and boosted Force attack damage! Meaning combo skills incorporating Force also hit harder, massively powering up Rokan’s attacks.
Plus, attack and defense rose with consecutive kills.
He didn’t know the exact amount, but for someone like Rokan who often faced multiple foes solo, no better option existed.
‘Perfect for immediate use.’
It synergized great with the next quest too.
One regret: the weapon was just high base attack, nothing special. Barely better than his current one in raw damage.
“Can’t be helped. Time to blow some gold.”
Brushing off the disappointment, Rokan finished random enhancements and headed to the integrated auction house. No better gear would be there, but items to further enhance his existed.
He bought a Blade Mine shard now flooding the market with rising user levels, and magic imbues for defense matching the count.
Right there, he slathered them on his gear without mercy, then aggressively searched and bought up consumables.
Even for Rokan, this warranted tension.
[Contemplation on Bones][Quest]
The Kensington Council has commissioned you for research on death and rebirth. After the herb that revives flesh, now fetch research on bones. Bone research materials can be found in the lich’s lab.
-Completion: Bone research materials 0/1
-Rewards: 10 gold, moderate EXP
“Whew.”
The next quest popping up after completing the Gentle Touch Flower gathering.
Rokan confirmed it and took a light breath.
Unlike the flower quest, it kindly specified the source, but the difficulty was insane.
The death-defying mage: lich.
Only one existed until crossing into the ‘Center.’
‘Inside the Cradle of the Dead.’
Right in the undead village ‘Cradle of the Dead’ near Ash Town.
To find and eliminate it for the bone research, he had to invade the ‘village.’
In his past life, people formed racial parties or raids to swarm it. But Rokan couldn’t.
No one had even reached level 150 to start racial quests, let alone this far.
Delay progress then?
No way.
Since he never planned to group up, now was actually prime time. At least users wouldn’t be a huge obstacle.
“Rune book. Under the lamp.”
Visualizing paths and infiltration routes, Rokan’s eyes gleamed as he activated the rune book.
He warped to the Black Dragon Legion area where he’d marked for Jaro’s pet dino hunt before, then began stealthy movement.