Chapter 106
Chapter 106
Translation: godtl
Squadron Commander Verpark (2)
Like a frozen frame from a movie.
The standoff continued between the humanoid wasp enveloped in shimmering air and the handsome man wielding a blazing sword.
To be precise.
Bzzzz...... Zzzzz...... Hmmmm......
It would be more accurate to say both were moving in slow motion.
Especially the humanoid wasp charging forward while wrapped in undulating air—even within this slowed world.
It was moving at a considerable speed.
And the master of this decelerated world.
Though Si-mun, swinging Laevateinn, wasn't as fast as Verpark.
Whoooosh.
Thanks to the flames coiling around Laevateinn, he managed to land the first strike on Verpark, who had closed the distance in an instant.
[What in the—!]
Verpark, startled by Laevateinn's flames, twisted his body and spat out a cry of shock.
......Huuuum!
The slowed world returned to its original speed.
'Whoa...... This is insane.'
Si-mun, now back in normal time.
He rubbed the golden wings on his head with astonished eyes.
Then.
"Burn."
Whoooosh.
He gifted another streak of flames to Verpark, who was shaking off the fire.
Swiftly, he checked the information window for Hermes' hat.
[Petasos]
Grade - Mythic (40%)
The hat of the Constellation Hermes.
Grants the wearer insight and the ability to fly through the skies.
When worn together with the sandals Talaria, its effects double.
"As expected......"
A murmur of admiration escaped his lips.
And for good reason.
'So it's Mythic-grade.'
All the Mythic-grade Equipment Si-mun had transmuted until now.
Their grades had been labeled as 'Imitation(%)'.
But what about this Petasos, transmuted with Hermes' sponsorship?
Though it was just this once.
It had been transmuted as a genuine Mythic-grade artifact.
Si-mun hurriedly checked the sandals' information window as well.
[Talaria]
Grade - Imitation (40%)
The sandals of the Constellation Hermes.
Though they allow flight, for some reason, they cannot fully exert their power.
When worn together with the hat Petasos, their effects double.
A similar yet different information window from Petasos.
Si-mun instantly grasped the difference between the two artifacts.
'If it's labeled as Mythic-grade instead of Imitation, the artifact must gain additional options.'
In reality, both had the same 40% completion rate.
But there was a clear difference in their effects.
The Imitation-grade Talaria only granted the ability to fly.
Meanwhile, the Mythic-grade Petasos provided the same ability plus 'Insight.'
'That sudden slowdown earlier must've been due to the Insight effect. Odin's Eye has a similar ability.'
Whether it was due to the grade difference.
Or because the ability doubled when paired with the sandals Talaria, he couldn't say.
'But the ability to perceive the world in slow motion is a step above Odin's Eye.'
In terms of slowing down perception, Petasos was superior.
From this, one thing could be inferred.
'If I max out an Imitation's completion rate, it'll transform into a Mythic-grade item.'
An Imitation at 100% would change into a Mythic-grade.
And likely gain a special effect, just like the current Petasos.
Of course, this was just speculation.
'But seeing how it gains additional options, it's pretty certain.'
Having reached this positive conclusion.
[Grrrrraaaah!!]
Si-mun swung Laevateinn toward the enraged roar coming from behind.
Fwoosh.
A blazing trail of fire cut through the air.
However.
[This worthless thing!]
Swoooosh.
Even while charging at terrifying speed, Verpark spewed dark blue venom from his mouth.
Tchiiii!
The flames of Laevateinn and the toxic spray collided, giving rise to thick, emerald-green mist.
Even Platinum-grade tanks would have recoiled in horror at such a poisonous fog—
He's spat out quite a lot.
But to Si-mun, wrapped in the flames of Laevateinn and reinforced by both the Vespa's physiology and his Dragon Body Transformation, the miasma had no effect whatsoever.
Did Verpark know that?
[Kyaaak!]
Rather than attacking Si-mun directly, the insectoid circled around him, focusing solely on spewing more venom.
Si-mun easily read his intentions.
He's trying to obscure my vision.
The venom was already a dark indigo by nature, but when it mixed with Laevateinn's flames, the resulting mist thickened into an oppressive haze.
Sssss—
Like the suffocating gloom of monsoon clouds, it swallowed the blue sky in an instant.
Even with visibility reduced to zero, the toxic barrage continued relentlessly.
As the accumulated poison reached a level that even Si-mun found mildly irritating, he gave a faint nod.
I see.
It's not just my sight. He's trying to block all my senses with this mist.
If it weren't Si-mun, any Diamond-grade Player would already be reeling from this much poison.
After all, Squadron Commander Verpark was a hidden boss who had effortlessly overpowered even Prince Ents, another top-tier species.
Is he finally going to make his move?
After minutes of unrelenting venom, the toxic downpour finally ceased.
Though he couldn't see or hear anything, Si-mun's lips curled with amusement.
Of course they did.
He had the perfect ability for this exact situation.
Kiiing—
A faint ringing filled his ears as a golden light unfurled from his left eye.
Odin's Eye pierced through the impenetrable mist, revealing everything with crystal clarity.
There he is.
Si-mun easily pinpointed Verpark's location.
Swish—
The jet-like buzzing from before was gone.
Verpark had minimized even the sound of his wings, silently circling the outer edges of the poison fog.
Looking for an opening? His confidence from earlier is nowhere to be seen.
The insectoid's jagged, slit-like pupils—his compound eyes, packed densely with insectile precision—were filled with caution.
He won't attack recklessly. In that case, I should bait him first—
Just as Si-mun considered deliberately exposing a weak point—
Hm?
His relaxed expression twitched.
Frowning, he sharpened Odin's Eye further and locked onto Verpark.
That's...
A familiar energy.
Though its hue differed from the power that had corrupted the World Tree and High Elf Ernen, this energy was unmistakable.
Dragon Power? Why is that here?!
A sinister, violet-tinged Dragon Power pulsed from what appeared to be Verpark's heart.
And it wasn't just any Dragon Power—it was of a remarkably high grade.
So that's why. Even Prince Ents, another top-tier species, was overwhelmed. That's what made him a hidden boss.
Insectors, much like the Dragonkin, adhered to a rigid hierarchy of power centered around their queen.
No matter how formidable the Vespa were in combat, there was no way they could have pressured Prince Ents—a top-tier species—without even undergoing Metamorphosis.
The answer lay in that violet Dragon Power.
As if to confirm his thoughts—
[The Constellation Black Goat's eyes widen upon discovering traces of the Dragon Emperor.]
[The Constellations Zeus and Heavenly Demon furrow their brows.]
[Constellation Odin expresses his displeasure and converses with other Constellations.]
The four Constellations who had been observing Si-mun displayed clear displeasure.
Soon after.
[Four Constellations have issued you a mission.]
A single message window flashed before his eyes.
Si-mun immediately checked the mission details.
[Mission]
Eliminate the hidden boss 'Squadron Commander Verpark' and retrieve his Dragon Power.
Reward: 5,000 Achievement Points
'Hoh?'
Si-mun's eyes widened slightly.
Not only was it a mission handed to him on a silver platter, but there was one particular word in the mission details that caught his attention.
'The Four Dragon Emperors?'
He already knew there were multiple Dragon Emperors.
He also knew that Nidhogg, one of the Five Dragon Emperors, was the one who had corrupted the World Tree.
But information about the Four Dragon Emperors had been scarce until now.
'So that crimson Dragon Power belongs to one of the Four Dragon Emperors?'
This wasn't just about the reward.
He had gained intel on his sworn enemies, the Dragon Emperors—how could he not be pleased?
'I should take care of this immediately.'
Sssk—
Si-mun's shoulder, gripping Laevateinn, lowered ever so slightly.
It was impossible to maintain peak combat tension indefinitely.
A natural movement, as if reminding him of common sense.
FWOOOOSH!
Verpark didn't miss the opening and lunged.
[As expected of an insignificant insect!]
His delighted voice echoed from behind.
Si-mun swiftly turned his body.
Perhaps because he had momentarily relaxed his shoulders?
Though his head turned quickly, the Laevateinn in his hand moved a beat slower.
[Kehahah! Farewell, insect!]
Overjoyed, Verpark swung his toxin-dripping claws.
Because of that, Verpark failed to notice—
The slight upward curl of Si-mun's lips as he turned his head.
And—
Tzzzt.
The vertical slit splitting open in his left pupil.
[Wha—?]
The moment those eerie pupils locked onto Verpark's compound eyes—
Flitch—
Verpark's movement stiffened mid-air.
Si-mun let the centrifugal force of his spin carry him, narrowly evading Verpark's strike.
Then—
"Burn."
WHOOSH.
Laevateinn, on the verge of vanishing from prolonged use, unleashed its final flames.
"Laevateinn."
SHHHK.
The blazing sword cleaved through Verpark's frozen torso.
"He's insane."
A single, blunt remark.
Yet the deep, masculine, and authoritative voice turned that simple phrase into the most fitting exclamation.
Because, in truth, nothing else needed to be said.
"And that's supposed to be Gold-rank?"
A sharp, well-defined jawline connected to sideburns exuding raw masculinity.
Along with striking, intense facial features.
To anyone looking, this man—the very embodiment of rugged masculinity—his "He's insane" carried undeniable weight.
"He's Platinum now, Derek. That was a Promotion Match."
A handsome blond youth shrugged his shoulders in response.
"Ah. Platinum, huh..."
Tap. Tap.
Derek drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair.
Only after watching Verpark's bisected body plummet in flames did he continue.
"But even that's not enough. To my eyes, he could be immediately promoted to Diamond-rank with no issues."
"Huh?!"
The blond youth's eyes widened.
Before Andrew Burns, one of American Dream's top prospects, could even respond—
"D-Derek! What are you talking about?!"
A voice with a vehement tone came from beside them.
A middle-aged Black man.
It was Colin, the Vice Guild Master of American Dream.
"Diamond-rank? I admit that Asian is strong, but isn't that an overstatement?"
Unlike his usual composed self,
Colin's voice was trembling ever so slightly.
And it wasn't because he was standing before Derek, the Guild Master of American Dream.
'Derek setting his sights on some random Asian...'
It was because of Kim Si-mun, the Korean player who was the subject of the broadcast the three were currently watching.
"Overstatement..."
Derek rolled the word "overstatement" in his mouth.
Given his personality, he wasn't doing it to be sarcastic—
but to objectively consider whether his judgment was truly excessive.
Colin instinctively swallowed dryly.
Then—
"No, it's not an overstatement, Colin."
Derek's firm jaw moved from side to side.
"Even if we attribute his absurd base stats to the Sword Saint Guild's growth buff..."
Derek pointed at Kim Si-mun, the dark-haired handsome man staring down at Verpark's fallen corpse.
"From that flame sword—whether it's magic or an item—to his golden eyes and wings, the Lightning Spear mentioned in the report, and all his other abilities..."
Derek's sharp blue eyes meticulously dissected Si-mun on the screen.
As the man leading one of the world's top two guilds, American Dream,
he had perfectly analyzed Si-mun's performance from the broadcast.
Vice Guild Master Colin's eyes twitched slightly.
"H-he's really that strong?"
"This is something you wouldn't understand, Colin. Andrew wouldn't either."
In other words,
unless you were a Ranker on Derek's level, you couldn't properly interpret Si-mun's feats.
"Um, Derek? I actually thought similarly, you know?"
Andrew's well-defined lips jutted out slightly.
"Well... I didn't realize his abilities were tailored to the boss's phases."
"Knowing that much is enough, Andrew. You're still young—all you have left is to climb higher."
Derek chuckled and nodded at him.
"But..."
The smile on his lips faded.
"Colin, you mean to tell me you left someone like this untouched until now?"
"W-well, you see..."
Colin stammered, flustered by Derek's question.
"Well, I can understand to some extent. You didn't become Vice Guild Master because of your rank."
At Derek's words, Colin's face flushed red.
"In my eyes, Kim Si-mun has the potential to aim for Diamond. It must've been difficult for you, a Platinum, to recognize that."
Especially if he's a Production Class.
As Derek murmured this, Colin's gaze sank to the floor.
"Still, I made you Vice Guild Master precisely because of your practical skills and sharp judgment... This oversight is disappointing."
"...Sorry, Derek. I misjudged this one."
As Derek trailed off, Colin answered in a deflated voice.
Derek then glanced at Andrew,
who smiled faintly and nodded.
"Bro, no need to hang your head like that."
Derek's large, firm hand patted Colin's shoulder.
"Derek..."
"Aren't you the Vice Guild Master of American Dream? Forget about that—let's focus on the present. There's still time, isn't there?"
He spoke with the refreshing smile that had won over countless American fans.
"O-of course! The intel team is already investigating Kim Si-mun's affiliations."
"Colin, even if he's affiliated, we have to recruit him."
"Right! I'll set up a meeting immediately! First, we'll start with a sponsorship in the millions—"
Watching Colin hurriedly prepare a sponsorship message,
Andrew let out a satisfied smile.
'At least that "Asian" nonsense is gone now.'