Chapter 13
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Tyrant's Shadow
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A shock rivaling a landslide slammed into the peak, sending the madness-crazed trolls scattering in blind panic every which way.
Even with the evil inside them awakened, it seemed their primal fear remained intact.
Swoooosh.
Kang Seol's expression shifted swiftly from hope to despair.
In the dust-settled battlefield stood the ragged shadow of Karuna and Mountain Sorcerer Jamad.
Had the clash between those two awe-inspiring titans truly ended in a draw?
Kang Seol couldn't accept a draw.
To him, it might as well have been defeat.
'Damn... Huh?'
Something felt off.
Why were the two just staring at each other without moving a muscle?
He got his answer from Jamad, who spoke directly to him.
"Devil... no, Shadow Summoner."
Shhrrk.
Jamad turned his back to Karuna, whose eyes blazed with fury.
A hideous gash ran down his chest like a long scar. It looked fatal at a glance.
He left his final words.
"Cough... Take me in. I... I can't end here! There's something I must... do..."
Thud!
At last, the moon cleaved the colossal mountain.
Jamad toppled forward, withering in the moonlight.
That marked the trigger for a barrage of system messages lighting up like fireworks.
Mountain Sorcerer Jamad harbors resentment toward Snowman.
Snowman is afflicted with a skin disease.
All stats reduced by 30% for one week.
All five Rock Fang Brothers have perished.
Snowman is freed from all resentment curses.
Mountain Sorcerer Jamad defeated.
Rewards enhanced.
Rock Fang treasure upgraded to Rock Fang divine relic.
Defeated the five brothers of Pointed Rock Mountain.
Adventure can be concluded upon time expiration or reward selection.
These were the expected messages up to this point.
Achievement 'Unfriendly Five Brothers' unlocked.
Title acquired: Dawn-Bringer Devil.
Achievement 'Fratricide' unlocked.
Title acquired: Sower of Discord.
Achievement 'I Can Do It Alone' unlocked.
Title acquired: Lone Wolf.
A torrent of messages flooded in relentlessly.
The onlookers erupted in cheers as they watched.
Sponsored 200 Madness!
[Mommy, I wanna be a snowman when I grow up! Mommy, I wanna be a snowman when I grow up! Mommy, I wanna be a snowman when I grow up!]
Take me, you strongest iron bar!
Fuck! Who dares make this unbreakable man Oh Myung-tae cry like this... Snowman... What the hell are you?!
Snowman punch! Snowman punch! He's a god!
Sponsored 300 Madness!
[The gukbap was just that delicious.]
What kind of sponsored content is this gukbap?! Spill it!
This content includes paid sponsorships.
Punish evil! Great watch!
Sponsored 200 Madness!
[Murmur murmur... Bubble bubble... Thump thump...]
Public opinion is getting real colorful.
Fr, everyone's flooding this chat lol
Is this guy getting top rewards? Yeah?
Sponsored 100 Madness!
[(╮°-°)╮┳┳ Acho~~~~!! (╯°□°)╯ ┻┻]
Ugh... My heart hurts. A man's passion beats within!
Table flip emote? Lol so cute lol
Three titles popping up? Wild.
Three titles from a single adventure.
Players usually considered snagging even one a success, but Kang Seol had shattered expectations.
'Alright, what's the effect?'
Titles rarely offered overwhelming power, but stacked over time, they became invaluable assets.
Kang Seol had taken his first smooth steps forward.
With titles secured, he figured no more messages until rewards.
He was wrong. Change hadn't come only to him.
Whoooosh...
As Moon Stage ended, the intense light around Karuna faded.
His exhausted body now emanated a subtle warmth.
A hard-fought draw! Karuna awakens a new ability.
Karuna awakens passive ability: Heroic Spirit.
Karuna achieves 'Mountain Cleave'.
Karuna acquires title Mountain Slicer.
Karuna gains experience.
Karuna's stats are unsealed.
Summon now exerts 40% of original power.
Insane, now the summon's solo-carrying?
Shadow Summoner trait apparently. What a weird system.
20% was already OP, 40% is One Punch Man territory?
Why does the summon get titles? Wtf lol
Info: Draw system is picky, rarely triggers.
Fact: It just did.
Kang Seol quickly checked Karuna's new abilities.
First up: Heroic Spirit.
A passive that boosted his stats by 10% when facing an enemy 20% stronger. (Applies to one target at a time.)
'Triggers only against relatively stronger foes.'
A solid ability.
For a sealed monster like Karuna, percentage stat boosts shone brightest.
Next, the title.
EXP buffs are too much!
But it's boss EXP anyway lol
Oh right lol How many bosses stronger than Karuna at this point?
Scary, Snowman!
Kang Seol equipped the title on Karuna and caught his breath.
"Phew..."
Two things left from this adventure.
One was the top-tier reward he'd clawed for. The other hinged on what he did next.
Shadow Summoning.
Standing before Jamad's corpse, Kang Seol hesitated briefly—due to the dying words.
"Cough... Take me in. I... I can't end here! There's something I must... do..."
Monsters typically despised becoming shadow summons.
It yanked them from death's peace to serve their killer.
Yet Jamad had begged to be taken.
'Why?'
Some lingering regret in life?
Kang Seol pegged Jamad as an Irregular.
Game flow twisted at unpredictable acts by Irregulars like him.
That was his dilemma now.
Was recruiting this Irregular a gain or loss?
'No choice. Jamad comes with me.'
Skipping him would halve the adventure's payoff.
Kang Seol turned his palm downward, channeling shadow energy.
An emotionless voice escaped his lips.
"Serve."
Shhhrrrk...
Crackle!
Jamad's muscles twitched.
Like Karuna reborn before, Jamad now reformed as shadow.
Zzzzt—
Jamad's eyes snapped open as he rose.
His massive frame, cloaked fully in shadow, loomed with crimson eyes glaring down at Kang Seol.
"Hooo..."
Breath steamed from Jamad's maw.
Shadow Summon of Tyrant Jamad successful.
Attempting legacy transfer.
Jamad's shadow replicates Rock Armor.
Shadow Summon rank too low.
High wisdom compensates.
Rock Armor transferred intact.
Jamad's shadow replicates Earthquake Stance.
Shadow Summon rank too low.
High wisdom compensates.
Earthquake Stance transferred intact.
Summon exerts 32% of original power.
Legacy transfer complete, yet Jamad showed no reaction.
Just stared piercingly at Kang Seol.
'Something wrong?'
Then Jamad spoke first.
"Devil, I shall join you."
Relief washed over Kang Seol like cleared indigestion.
But Jamad wasn't done.
"On one condition."
"What?"
Jamad's demand was surprisingly simple.
He gathered his brothers' corpses, including Earth Sorcerer Makgata.
The youngest had burned, but Jamad unearthed even his remains.
Whoooosh—!
Jamad uses Sorcery Absorption on Makgata's sorcery.
Summon now exerts 34% of original power.
...
...
Jamad drained power from his brothers' bodies. No ordinary strength.
Kang Seol confirmed his uniqueness.
'Sorcery Absorption. Fitting for an Irregular.'
Jamad possessed a special talent players couldn't select.
It stole power from dead sorcerers.
Broken as hell!
Sorcerers are rare though...
Then delete it!
Cheat skill!
With a bitter smile at Rock Sorcerer Kron's sprawled corpse, Jamad murmured.
"At least we die together."
Whoooosh—!
Jamad uses Sorcery Absorption on Kron's sorcery.
Summon now exerts 40% of original power.
"The mountain... will embrace you all."
Jamad closed his eyes briefly, then turned to Kang Seol.
"Run! Jamad's dead! All the brothers are gone! Rock Fang is finished!"
"It's over! Over, I tell you!"
"Death still lingers on the peak!"
Rumble rumble rumble!
The Rock Fang Tribe, snapping from madness, saw their atrocities and leaders' deaths, then fled their village.
Pointed Rock Mountain liberated from Rock Fang Tribe.
Hidden dungeon 'Frozen Ruins' unlocked.
Hidden dungeon 'Moving Sky' unlocked.
'A changing world.'
Another hallmark of Eternal World.
The world shifted with player achievements.
Its scale was unfathomable—that's why Kang Seol played 17 years without boredom. This game never got old.
Once the tribe vanished from sight, messages poured in.
Snowman sparks massive change through great feats.
Great and small changes sweep Eternal World, Pandea.
Rock Fang Tribe's defeat by Snowman at Pointed Rock Mountain spreads across Pandea.
Snowman's name echoes from Pandea's corners.
Golden Caravan Merchants praise Snowman's feats.
Free City Kongori freed from Rock Fang threat.
Kongori citizens remember Snowman's name.
Earth Dragon Tankreed unaware of Rock Fang's demise.
Pandea's power balance shifts.
All players may now select 'Pointed Rock Mountain Trade Route Construction' adventure from bases.
All players may now select 'Pointed Rock Mountain Remnants Purge' adventure from bases.
Fame rise unlocks various secret adventures. Discover them yourself.
Adventurer score acquired.
Kang Seol had hit every goal.
Beyond solo-clearing—top rewards too.
"Haa..."
Dawn had broken; noon neared.
A morning that made him crave the cigarettes he'd quit.
"Last one."
More left?
Boss man's insane!
One after another no matter what -_-
Kang Seol manipulated the hovering interface. A bone-ornamented chest popped up before him.
Clunk.
Fwoooosh!
He flung it open without hesitation. Dazzling light illuminated the contents.
Top reward: Rock Fang divine relic confirmed.
Level up!
Level up!
Stat points acquired.
Divine relic: Mountain Fist acquired.
Rock Robe acquired.
Vitality Root acquired.
892 gold coins acquired.
277 silver coins acquired.
20 Medium Red Potions acquired.
8 Medium Blue Potions acquired.
...
"Mountain Fist!"
Mountain Fist!
Mountain Fist??
It dropped?!
That came out?!
Divine Relic: Mountain Fist
Rank:Divine Relic
Level Req:None
Attack:43 | Durability:50/50
Weight:5.0kg x 2
Rock Fang divine relic bestowed by Tankreed. Infused with earth's energy, evolved one step. Sturdy frame allows further growth.
Base: All stats +3, core stats +5
Special: MP regen +5/sec, sorcery range/damage +50%. Attribute bloom (Stage 1: Mountain)
Broken!
Insane cheat gear! Unfair!
What if you got it?
God game. You smashed pity lol
Stalin: Wanna share that?
Kang Seol equipped Mountain Fist on Jamad.
Clunk.
Mountain Fist equipped on Tyrant Jamad.
Jamad swung his fists a few times, showing no particular reaction.
Rock Robe
Rank:Rare
Level Req:3-10
Defense:30 | Durability:45/45
Weight:0.2kg
Robe of sturdiness and abundance.
Base: Wis +5, Vit +1, Spi +2
Special: Vit +10%, clothes never soil.
'Not bad.'
Kang Seol shed his shabby outerwear for the fine Rock Robe.
With Full Moon Staff and robe, he looked transformed.
Why so master-like?
Be reasonably strong, Snowman!
Vitality Root
Rank:Unique
Level Req:1-5
Weight:0.1kg
Special: Consumable in various ways. Effects unknown.
Line crossed for real;
Moon Seed and now this...
Kang Seol tucked the root away.
Planning to cook it up, naturally.
'Solid reward haul.'
Adventure over, light engulfed him, whisking him away.
Vreeee—
Kang Seol arrived in a new place.
Crowded with people.
They didn't look like locals, yelling warily as if just teleported.
"A-are you all Korean?"
"Where the hell is this?"
"Hye-in! Hye-in! Mommy's here! Where are you?"
A bustling marketplace.
But one line stole their attention.
Next: Adventure 2 rankings up to Friendly 5 Brothers.