Chapter 198
Chapter 198
Chapter 198: The Cradle of the Spirit King (1)
Translation: godtl
Seven meters in length.
A being towering as tall as an average residential building.
Groooaaar.
It raised its leg high into the air.
Then—
BOOM.
The moment its foot slammed into the ground, a heavy tremor rippled outward.
Si-mun's expression remained hardened as he faced the source of the quake.
"Giant Race..."
He stared at the Giant.
But it wasn't just Si-mun who was shocked.
The viewers, who had been discussing the Yggdrasil Guild issue, erupted in a frenzy.
Soon after—
One after another, the chat flooded with concern.
And rightfully so.
Ever since the Desert of the Scales, Si-mun had entered the minor regular rotation—meaning he now had to stake his life in every match.
And yet, here he was, a Platinum player facing a Giant Race opponent, something that should only appear in top-tier Diamond matches.
It made no sense.
But oddly enough, Si-mun didn't seem worried about his life.
Sure, he had the death nullification from the World Tree's Growth Buff, but—
'Why is a Giant in the Spirit Realm?'
His curiosity about the Giant Race outweighed his fear.
Then—
[The Constellations Black Goat, Baal, and Heavenly Demon frown in displeasure.]
[The Constellations Zeus and Odin express outrage.]
Si-mun's Constellations collectively displayed their displeasure.
Zeus and Odin, in particular, were visibly furious.
'Huh? Why are the Constellations suddenly—?'
Si-mun tilted his head briefly but quickly grasped the situation.
'Ah. Just like with the Dragonkin, they must not have good relations with the Giants either.'
Back when he first encountered Drakan, a Dragonkin, in a Special Arena, hadn't the Constellations reacted negatively then too?
'Whatever the reason...'
If he handled this the same way he did back then—
'Sponsorships are pretty much guaranteed.'
The rewards from the Constellations would be the same, too.
Si-mun licked his lips in anticipation.
'But if it's a Giant, using a Golem in this Arena is out of the question.'
Even with the stat boosts from the last Arena and the Stat Enhancer increasing his main stats by dozens, trying to fight a top-tier Arena species like the Giant Race with a mere Transmutation Golem was impossible.
However—
'It's not like Golems are the only thing I can experiment with.'
Snap.
Si-mun flicked his fingers.
The Obsidian Tablet he had acquired to learn the Homunculus creation method was now at 60% completion.
Thanks to that—
The [Ogre's Body Tissue] and [Black Panther's Body Tissue], which covered his entire body through simultaneous human transmutation, had each reached 60% completion.
'With the 274 Transmutation Power I have now, plus the power of the Philosopher's Stone, now at A-rank...'
Huuuum.
From the center of his chest, Dragon Power flowed out from the Philosopher's Stone, spreading through his entire body.
As if responding—
Crack.
Si-mun's transmuted body twisted slightly.
The human transmutation that had taken root naturally began to unravel under the pressure of the Dragon Power, but—
Si-mun seized the fading transmutation.
'If I use the principles of Ars Magna fusion to combine Human Transmutation and Dragon Body Transformation—!'
Forcing it to remain, he utilized the truth of fusion he had grasped earlier—
Binding the two opposing forces, Human Transmutation and Dragon Body Transformation, together—no, merging them completely.
Then—
Crreeak.
With a sickening sound of flesh tearing—
"Ugh!"
An intense pain seared through his entire body, as if his blood, flesh, and muscles were being pulled apart.
But the pain was fleeting.
Thump! Thump!
As the agony subsided, Si-mun, lost in a trance, could only feel the violent pounding of his own heart.
Just as this state lingered a moment longer—
[The principle of Human Body Refinement analyzes the trait Dragon Body Transformation.]
A line of text floated before Si-mun's eyes.
[Dragon Body Transformation is reinterpreted through the principle of Human Body Refinement.]
[Knowledge of Human Body Refinement is incomplete.]
[Only 60% completion achieved—Dragon Body Transformation is reinterpreted accordingly.]
[Trait Dragon Body Transformation has been deleted.]
One after another, messages continued to appear.
Then—
[Unique Trait Dragonoid has been acquired.]
The final message rose before him.
[The Constellation Black Goat bursts into mad laughter—"Kyahahaha!! To discard that damn power in such a way! That's our boy!!"]
[The Constellation Baal's thunderous "Hmm!!" shocks the surrounding Demon Kings.]
[The Constellations Zeus, Odin, and the Heavenly Demon let out dry chuckles.]
[From afar, an unknown Constellation watching you grows restless.]
With the tumultuous reactions of the Constellations—
Crreeak.
Si-mun's entire body twisted.
Thud.
A heavy vibration.
And with it—
"Ughuhuh."
A deep, resonant laughter rippled through the air.
Like a man intoxicated by drugs.
"Ughuhuh! Huhuh!"
The giant, drooling with a foolish grin, swept his crazed eyes—
"Huuuuh."
Over the kaleidoscopic scenery around him.
To be precise—
Rustle.
Every single leaf in the vibrant landscape.
His massive eyeballs scrutinized every minute detail.
As if searching for something.
Then—
Thud.
The sound of footsteps echoed from behind.
With movements far removed from his earlier stupor—
WHOOSH!
The giant swung a colossal fist toward the rear.
And the moment his massive eyes landed on the source—
"Huuuh?"
Confusion and surprise flickered in the giant's wide eyes.
At the same time—
CRASH!
His house-sized fist cratered into the ground.
A thick cloud of dust billowed up.
"Whoosh."
But as the seven-meter-tall giant exhaled a few gusts of wind—
The dense dust vanished in an instant.
Beside his sunken fist stood a figure, firmly planted on both feet.
About two meters tall?
Anyone would have been startled by a house-sized fist hurtling toward them—
Yet the figure showed not a hint of surprise.
Instead, with a face so calm it was almost bland, he gazed up at the giant.
The giant grinned crookedly in response.
"Ughuhuh. Huuuuh!"
He shook his dirt-caked fist playfully.
As if to say he hadn't meant to hit him.
Had the figure understood his intent?
"You refrained from striking me—is that what you meant?"
A quiet voice escaped the impassive figure's lips.
Clear, yet—
So deep it bordered on decadent.
A voice one might even call distinctly beautiful.
The giant's massive eyes widened briefly—but only for a moment.
"Ughuh!"
As if agreeing,
The giant nodded.
Then—
Grrr.
His enormous arm shifted to the side.
More precisely, a single raised index finger.
The two-meter-tall figure followed the giant's gesture, turning his gaze toward the indicated direction.
There, unlike the vibrant natural scenery surrounding them—
A space of dark, murky green stood apart, as if from another world.
And at its center—
Aaaaah......
A faint, rainbow-hued beam of light, entwined with swirling black clouds, shot violently into the sky.
"That place... I see. So that is the cradle of the Spirit King?"
At the words of the two-meter-tall being.
"Hmm."
The giant nodded his head as if looking at a clever puppy.
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh!"
He kept making sounds that were neither laughter nor speech.
Alternating between pointing at the two-meter-tall being and the gray-green space.
To which.
"Are you saying a being like me belongs in the Spirit King's cradle?"
The two-meter-tall being murmured in a decadently sweet voice.
Perhaps having accurately interpreted the giant's meaning.
Thwack! Thwack!
"Uh-huh-huh!!"
The seven-meter giant clapped his hands loudly enough to burst eardrums.
While continuously letting out an idiotic grin.
His sagging, naked flesh wobbled with each movement.
Though he lacked genitalia.
The loose skin on his chest, belly, and other areas danced grotesquely.
"Tsk."
Finding the sight utterly unpleasant.
A faint look of disgust flickered across the previously expressionless face of the two-meter-tall being.
Soon after.
"Well, thanks for the information anyway."
The two-meter-tall being gave a small nod.
Following the motion.
Swish.
His ebony-black hair lightly brushed against the horns growing on either side of his forehead.
And that.
Crunch!
"Hmm...?"
Became the last sight the giant ever saw.
A seven-meter building.
Like a felled tree, the structure—comparable to a modern residential house—slowly toppled over.
Nothing particularly strange about it.
A chest hollowed out enough to see straight through the background.
And.
Thump.
A sizable heart still pulsing in Si-mun's grasp.
For a creature that's lost its heart, there was no way to survive.
"Huuuuh..."
The massive arm flailed sluggishly through the air.
Having lost one heart, the giant ultimately.
Koo-woong!
Collapsed to the ground with a tremor befitting his size.
Crunch.
Si-mun's grip crushed the still-beating giant's heart outright.
Sssss.
Steaming white vapor rose as the scalding blood touched Si-mun's cheek, but that was all.
With an indifferent expression, Si-mun wiped away the blood staining his cheek.
'Lukewarm.'
The Giant Race.
Like the Dragonkin, one of the top-tier species in the Galaxy Arena.
They possessed various traits, one of which was this boiling-hot blood.
'Even top-tier Diamond tanks get burns from Giant Race blood, yet...'
Si-mun looked down at the hand that had wiped away the steaming blood.
More precisely, at the hand honed as elegantly and sharply as a Dragonian's.
'To think it would feel this lukewarm.'
Though white vapor still billowed from the hand that had wiped the blood.
The cheek touched by the blood and the hand that wiped it only registered the sensation of lukewarm water.
'If the giant's blood feels like this, it means my basic defense and resistance are substantial...'
Si-mun clenched and unclenched his sharp, blood-streaked hand.
'And to think I'd gain attack power capable of extracting a Giant Race's heart.'
Even if it was a surprise attack.
'And without even the help of the Heavenly Demon Arts.'
Considering the Giant Race's innate physical abilities.
'Dragonoid... It's clearly on a different level from Dragon Body Transformation.'
This Dragonoid trait truly possessed absurd destructive power.
In fact, Si-mun wasn't the only one astonished by this.
-What the hell... One-shotting a Giant Race?
-Looks like a low-tier one, judging by how it couldn't even speak.
-Even if it's low-tier, this is crossing a line.
-Just watch the top-tier Diamond broadcasts—even low-tier giants are insanely fast.
-Plus, their defense and regeneration are on par with trolls, lol.
-For real, they're monster bastards.
-But to take one down in a single hit...
Viewers watching the broadcast were equally unable to contain their shock.
Especially...
-"He targeted the heart. He just exploited a weak point, why are you all making such a fuss?"
-"Exactly. Who can't exploit a weak point? Lol."
-"Fuck lol, are the people above idiots?"
-"You guys know the Giant Race's weak point. But can you one-shot them like that?"
-"Wow... seriously, anyone below Diamond upper ranks should just shut up."
-"Fr, if you don't know, just stfu. Go face the Giant Race first and then yap."
With viewership in the millions,
there were naturally many Diamond-tier upper-rank players watching as well.
-"Oof, the celestial-tier big shots are pissed."
-"Please, you deep-sea trash, just shut up. I'm embarrassed to share the same tier as you."
-"Even the top Diamond players are acknowledging him. What gives you the right to open your mouths? Lol."
-"This is honestly hilarious lol."
Upper-rank players who seemed to be at the top began appearing,
effectively suppressing the negative opinions on their own.
-"But doesn't this guy look a bit different now?"
-"Yeah, he's changed a lot compared to before."
-"His hair's longer, and he's got horns now."
-"His overall build seems bigger too? Looks like he's over 2 meters now."
-"That's probably why he one-shot the Giant Race."
-"Idk, but Si-mun! Your voice is melting me!"
-"Fr, he got even hotter. Oppa! I'm down bad!"
They couldn't stop chattering about Si-mun's transformed appearance as a Dragonoid.
However.
Si-mun, who usually kept the chat turned off in the Arena, remained unaware of these discussions.
'The skeletal changes are more drastic than during Dragon Body Transformation. Adapting isn't easy. I should train more when I get back.'
He was solely focused on self-assessment.
Of course, this was just the viewers.
[Constellation Black Goat is drooling as he stares at you, muttering, "Haah... how can he be like this! Damn it. If only he weren't my baby, I'd devour him in one bite!"]
[Constellations Zeus and Heavenly Demon gaze at you with lustful eyes.]
[Constellations Baal and? nod in satisfaction as they watch you.]
The reactions of the Constellations were crystal clear.
And as expected.
[Five Constellations are extremely pleased with your actions.]
[Five Constellations have donated 5,000 Achievement Points.]
It seemed they despised the Giant Race as much as the Dragonkin.
"Oh."
For just one low-tier Giant, the Constellations had generously donated a whopping 5,000 Achievement Points.
Si-mun's lips curled up on their own.
'I was already bleeding points with the guild expansion and synthesizing World Tree Seed fragments.'
Hadn't he just made a massive expenditure of 30,000 Achievement Points not long ago?
This was incredibly welcome news. Si-mun accepted the reward with a satisfied smile.
Then.
"By the way, that place over there..."
The direction the dead Giant had pointed.
'It's obviously suspicious. Feels like it's definitely the Spirit King's Cradle.'
Si-mun glanced at the dark, gray-green area and immediately kicked off the ground.
Skreeeech!
Like a speeding vehicle,
everything around him stretched and blurred.
'Whoa! I felt it earlier too, but this body is seriously insane. I'd believe it if someone said this was an Agility-focused combat build.'
Marveling at the specs that were on a whole different level from Dragon Body Transformation, Si-mun suddenly had a question.
'But what kind of Dragonkin is a Dragonoid?'
Dragonoid.
Wasn't this a term he'd never even heard of in his past life?
As he tirelessly moved his legs, Si-mun absentmindedly touched the horns growing from both sides of his forehead.
'Usually, Dragonkin only grow horns if they're Dragon-tier or evolved species, so I doubt I'm just a normal Dragonkin...'
He couldn't even grasp what kind of Dragonkin he resembled.
In fact, compared to Dragon Body Transformation, the area covered in scales had even decreased.
Hadn't the scales on his face and neck completely disappeared?
If not for the sudden horns, elongated hair,
over-2-meter-tall frame, and sharp claws,
he would've looked completely human—nothing out of the ordinary.
Most crucially...
'This isn't even my full-power transformation?'
Now that Dragonoid had become his trait,
his instincts whispered to him as naturally as breathing.
This form wasn't his full strength.
And so.
Thud.
In an instant, Si-mun arrived at the dark gray-green zone—and what he saw was...
'Holy shit!'
Aaaaah!
An even more deafening roar—
no, a massive, rainbow-colored pillar made of screams.
-"Guaaaaah!"
-"It hurts... it hurts!"
-"Just... just kill me!"
A literal hellscape.