Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: ACT.8 ???(EX) (5)
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[Attempting to connect to the character, ‘Jeon Do-jin’.]
[Analyzing past play data.]
[Calibrating sync….]
[You have inherited 27% of the target.]
KRA-KOOM!!
“Gurgle!?”
A bolt of lightning struck from the sky.
The Fishman it hit directly was burned to a crisp, and those around it were electrocuted and collapsed.
The Fishmen with a clear line of sight looked around, wondering what had happened, and flinched in shock at the gruesome sight of their kin.
I had originally intended to drop it where more of them were gathered.
But since it was my first time using this ability, a lack of proficiency was unavoidable.
In fact, I was the one who was more surprised.
I had only inherited a mere 27%.
And yet, it had this much destructive power.
The lightning being a natural counter to the Fishmen was part of it, but as expected of a trait that ranked among the highest in attack power.
‘This will be useful for clearing out the Fishmen.’
No matter where I dropped it, there were enemies.
The situation was different from when Jeon Do-jin had lamented that he couldn't use it.
The caster themselves receives no damage, but those nearby are a different story.
That's why Jeon Do-jin couldn't use his ability, fearing we would be harmed.
But I had no such restraints.
BZZZT!
There were no allies nearby who might be harmed, only enemies.
And even those enemies posed no threat to me now.
“GRAAAAAH!!”
There wasn't a single spot on the ground without a puddle of water.
In such a situation, lightning had struck twice.
The slightest movement would lead to immediate electrocution, their entire bodies turning black. There was nothing the Fishmen could do.
In game terms, this was no different from a training ground.
It felt like practicing my aim before starting the main game.
KRA-KOOM!
With every swing of my arm, several Fishmen turned to ash.
As expected, this was the power of Jeon Do-jin, who was once called the finest man of the Red Lotus Guild.
With something like this, it was no wonder he earned such a title.
The lightning trait wasn't a unique one, so I had briefly considered acquiring it myself, but in the end, I had chosen Lord of Darkness.
A trait with a lot of utility would be useful in the long run.
A trait that was only good for its attack power would be difficult to use until the very end.
SHWAAAAA!
The rain was still pouring.
If anything, it seemed to be getting worse.
My range of vision grew shorter and shorter, and now I couldn't even see the river.
This was less a disaster and more a natural catastrophe.
It also meant that he was getting closer.
Splash.
The sound of my heart pounding fiercely seemed to drown out the downpour.
As he drew nearer, I felt a chill run down my spine from the sheer volume of his mana.
Even if he was injured, the power he possessed hadn't changed.
The moment I let my guard down and allowed a single blow to land, I wouldn't be the one left in this world.
[The effect of the trait, ‘Wind and Moon,’ is activated.]
[Agility stat slightly increases during combat.]
[You will not tire easily.]
Just in time, the trait I'd been waiting for activated.
No matter how injured he was, he wasn't an opponent I could afford to hold back against.
I would use Jeon Do-jin's power and my own power simultaneously.
With that, I should be able to subdue him easily.
“Ugh!?”
So I thought, but when I tried to feel the darkness I was so used to, a pain like needles stabbing my entire body shot through me.
And a headache that the word 'splitting' couldn't even begin to describe.
An intense agony, as if tiny glass shards were embedded in my brain, scraping away.
The sudden rush of pain left me gasping, unable to utter a word.
‘No.’
What if he found me at this moment and attacked?
The thought of dying instantly snapped my eyes open, and I regained my senses.
The pain vanished as if it had never been there.
‘Using borrowed power and my original power at the same time is still impossible.’
The backlash on my body was too great.
It was an unpleasant and terrifying feeling, as if the blood in my veins would have reversed its flow if I had pushed myself to use the power any further.
‘It might be possible if I raise my mana…’
But even if I invested all my current coins into mana, it didn't seem like much would change.
A mana stat of at least 80.
No, even 80 wouldn't be enough.
At least over 90, or depending on the situation, I might have to surpass 100, the realm of 'transcendence'.
SWOOSH!
The moment I heard the sound of something cutting through the air, I quickly rolled to the side.
CRASH!
A massive trident, which I had dodged by a hair's breadth, shattered the spot where I had been standing.
He had closed the distance before I knew it.
I had been sensing a fairly wide area, but it seemed he had entered the moment my detection was momentarily disrupted by my earlier mistake.
‘Come to think of it, even in the game, if you tried to use multiple abilities like fire or ice, it would usually say it was impossible and you couldn't even learn them.’
I caught my breath.
Even if I can't do it now, I have to make it possible later.
It's a waste not to be able to use 100% of the power I've obtained.
I'll have to train myself, but I can certainly handle that.
“Are you… the one who killed my kin?”
The trident naturally returned to his grasp.
That was why he could throw it without hesitation.
Equipment with an effect that automatically returns it to its owner.
If I could get that weapon and sell it to someone who mainly used spears, it would fetch a hefty price, but unfortunately, the game was single-player, so that was impossible.
…Maybe it's possible now?
As I entertained the thought, I casually asked the King of Waves.
“You’re the ones who originally live in the sea. What business do you have crawling all the way out to land like this?”
The King of Waves was a creature you were supposed to encounter at a gate near the Han River.
He was originally from the sea but had been pushed to the Han River for some reason.
But for him to be here meant it was more than just being pushed out.
The distance from the Han River to here was considerable, and the environment wasn't very suitable for them to live in.
There was no reason for them to come all the way here from the Han River.
“We must find a new home.”
He spoke one sentence and took a step forward.
“But before we could, my kin were massacred by you.”
His eyes, all black with no whites, stared at me ravenously.
“I am Emptus, King of Waves and king of the Fishmen. I will personally judge you for your sins!”
With those words, Emptus powerfully thrust his trident forward.
WHOOOSH!
A whirlpool erupted from the tip of the trident, matching the pattern I remembered.
I had wondered if he might just be a similar but different individual, but that possibility was now gone.
‘They have to find a new home?’
They were already chased out of the sea, and now they've been chased out of the Han River too?
The Han River is divided into different territories, each inhabited by different monsters.
For the Fishmen, who formed a fairly large faction, to be chased all the way here…
What on earth happened at the Han River? Did Leviathan go on a rampage?
“…Come to think of it, this is ridiculous.”
I let out a dry laugh.
I'll think about why Emptus is here later.
For now, I need to focus on defeating him.
“If you’re going to talk about a home, go back to your own world, you shameless bastard!”
[Using item, ‘Mountain Goat's Horn’.]
[For 15 minutes, all party members’ attack and defense power increase by 15%.]
BZZT!
I swung my sword, fully charged with the power of lightning.
Dozens of electrical currents surged towards him, following the trajectory of my blade.
Even if he's a king-class entity, his weakness to electricity doesn't change.
If I keep attacking, the damage will accumulate.
“Useless.”
He plunged his trident into the ground and let go.
The currents that struck the trident, which was further ahead, were absorbed directly into the earth.
‘A lightning rod…!’
Is his intelligence also different because he's a king-class?
But even with a lightning rod, the ground will ultimately be covered in electricity.
Won't he run out of places to stand himself?
“The mucus covering my skin is composed of a substance that does not conduct electricity, giving me superior resistance. Do not think you can defeat me easily just because you can wield electricity.”
Emptus was unharmed.
He stood calmly in a puddle that looked dangerous to the touch.
At the very least, it seemed true that his electrical resistance was superior to that of the other Fishmen.
He's a king-class entity. Of course, his weaknesses would be somewhat overcome.
Still, it wasn't to this extent.
His electrical resistance was far superior to the version of him in my memory.
“We evolve. To survive.”
Emptus pulled out his trident and swung it wide.
The river's current suddenly changed direction and rushed in all at once.
ROOOOAR!
King of Waves.
He was so skilled at manipulating water currents that he had earned that nickname.
If I get swept up in that current, I'll lose my balance and control of my body.
‘How do I beat him?’
I scrambled up a tree to avoid the torrent, my mind racing.
I've defeated the King of Waves many times.
But I've never done it when electricity was completely ineffective.
Emptus's electrical resistance had never been that high before.
It was good that he was injured, but because of that, his only weakness was gone.
Back to square one.
[Duration: 30 minutes remaining.]
But I couldn't just carelessly deactivate the 'Playable Character' effect.
I didn't know what kind of backlash would occur if I did.
The only power I can use right now is the manipulation of electricity.
With this alone, I have to face a king-class entity that is immune to electricity.
“You cannot escape.”
As Emptus rotated his trident, waterspouts erupted from the water in response.
The only difference from actual waterspouts was this.
After rising to a certain height, they would plummet towards their target.
WHOOSH!
“Ugh…!”
Once, twice.
I leaped from tree to tree, dodging the relentless downpour of watery vortexes as if in a dance.
Damn it. It's hard to believe he's even injured.
The only silver lining was that the ground was becoming visible again as he drew in the surrounding water to create the waterspouts.
“You bastard!”
Something even larger than before shot up from the river.
Using a big technique comes with a corresponding backlash.
Not missing the momentary opening, I threw my sword, charged with electricity.
However, my strike was easily blocked by a water barrier that moved on its own.
“If the sword pierces the skin and electricity flows from within, the resistance can be ignored. That's what you thought, right? You're correct.”
The wall of water that had encircled him dispersed, transforming into a fierce torrent that struck me.
“Ugh…!”
“But it's useless if it doesn't hit.”
I crashed into a tree and fell to the ground.
My mind went blank from the intense pain wracking my body, but I gritted my teeth and endured.
If I hadn't guarded just before impact, my ribs would have been broken.
Electricity shot out from my barely extended fingertips.
The current missed by a small margin, passing between his legs, and the King of Waves scoffed.
“Your learning ability is lacking. You saw for yourself that electricity doesn't work. And you can't even hit a stationary target.”
“…Learning ability, you say.”
I managed a pained smile.
Thwump.
The sound of flesh being pierced echoed louder than the rain.
The King of Waves, who had been approaching me with his trident, stopped moving and stiffly lowered his head like a rusted machine.
A single sword protruded from Emptus's chest.
“H-how…”
“I learned from watching you retrieve your trident.”
Metal can be magnetized by running an electric current through it.
The electricity wasn't meant to hit him.
It was meant to hit my sword, imbuing it with magnetism to pull it back towards me.
“This is what you call learning ability, you arrogant bastard.”
He had pretended to use a big technique to show an opening and bait my attack.
I knew, but I fell for it anyway.
To create an opening of my own.
Sacrificing the flesh to cut the bone.
It's a strategy of giving up your own flesh to cut your opponent's bones, typically used to defeat an enemy of similar or greater strength.
“By clearing so many games, I've developed the learning ability to immediately analyze, counter, and even exploit an attack after being hit once.”
BZZZZZZT!!
A massive amount of electricity was discharged from the sword piercing Emptus's body.
The corpse, now little more than blackened ash, collapsed.
His end was no different from that of the other Fishmen.
[You have achieved the accomplishment, ‘King Slayer’.]
[6000 coins are awarded as a reward.]
[The trait, ‘Accustomed to Battle,’ evolves to B-rank.]