Chapter 215
Chapter 215
Translation: godtl
Diamond Promotion Match (2)
Characters I've never seen in my life.
And in less than a second—
Fluent Korean.
Or rather—
The chat messages from viewers watching Si-mun's broadcast were simultaneously translated and displayed in various languages.
Yet, the host of the broadcast himself, Si-mun, showed not a hint of surprise.
The reason was simple.
'Inter-species chats? I've seen plenty of those in my past life, but......'
[For the first time on Earth, a 'viewer from another dimension' has tuned into your broadcast.]
[You have earned 5,000 Achievement Points as a reward.]
'To think there was a first-time achievement reward just for getting an otherworldly viewer.'
A first-time achievement reward.
And a whopping 5,000 Achievement Points at that, just for gaining a new type of viewer?
'Hah! Well, I've known for a while that first-time achievement rewards are sweet, but...'
This is a bit excessive, don't you think?
Si-mun let out a hollow laugh and shook his head.
Just as he was about to skim through the newly arrived messages—
[You have achieved the milestone 'Surpass 8,000,000 Viewers'.]
[You have earned 8,000 Achievement Points.]
Another achievement notification floated before Si-mun.
'Eight million?'
Si-mun's eyes widened.
His viewer count, which had been hovering around the 7 million mark since entering the Diamond Promotion Match, had now surpassed 8 million without him even realizing it.
But the viewer achievements didn't stop there.
[You have achieved the milestone 'Surpass 10,000,000 Viewers'.]
[You have earned 10,000 Achievement Points.]
"T-ten million?!"
Si-mun rarely expressed surprise out loud, but this was an exception.
And rightfully so.
'Even if this is a Diamond Promotion Match, ten million?!'
No matter how hyped the Diamond Promotion Match was,
at the end of the day, wasn't it just an Arena match where Platinum players advanced to Diamond?
Yet ten million people were watching this broadcast?
And it wasn't just Si-mun who was shocked.
The viewers were in an uproar too.
After glancing at the chat, Si-mun finally understood the situation.
'Ah, I see. The sudden surge is because of the inter-dimensional chats.'
Other species that were usually only encountered inside the Arena—
now viewers could interact with them through the same chat.
No wonder the numbers had exploded.
Si-mun immediately checked the viewer count.
[10,647,271 viewers currently watching.]
[11,877,645 viewers currently watching.]
[12,332,985 viewers currently watching......]
In the blink of an eye, the count soared past 11 million, then broke through 12 million, climbing vertically.
[14,623,107 viewers currently watching.]
Only after surpassing 14 million did the growth finally slow down.
'14 million... damn.'
Si-mun let out another hollow laugh as he looked at the numbers.
Compared to his previous viewer count of around 7 million, this was nearly double.
And to think—
'Even with all the attention drawn to the Guild War incident...'
Given that the Guild War was currently being held in Russia,
most media and public attention was focused there, wasn't it?
With even Russia's top player getting assassinated, the hype around it was massive.
'And yet, I've pulled in this many viewers.'
The appearance of inter-dimensional chats was nothing short of a game-changer.
Si-mun's lips curled into a smile.
'Well, I did earn 18,000 Achievement Points thanks to this.'
Once the Guild War hype died down, he'd easily surpass 15 million viewers.
As Si-mun smiled contentedly—
[All participants have been matched.]
A message appeared, signaling the match was ready to begin.
Then—
['Azshita' is a dimension composed entirely of ocean.]
[Eliminate all enemies before time runs out and prove your worth for promotion.]
[Time Limit: 59:59.]
With the message signaling the start—
KOOOOM!
As if crushed by some colossal force,
Si-mun's clothes and hair were pressed tightly against his body, and an intense pressure enveloped his entire being.
'As expected of Azshita. The water pressure is no joke.'
The dimension of Azshita.
As described by the Galaxy Arena, this dimension was mostly composed of water.
Despite its beautiful scenery reminiscent of the open sky, its water pressure was on an entirely different level from Earth's.
Moreover—
'I've seen it in broadcasts in my past life, but... Even if breathing is possible, the water pressure keeps getting stronger.'
Though even non-aquatic beings could breathe here,
the crushing water pressure had a unique trait—it would gradually intensify unless special measures were taken.
And fortunately—
'Tsk. I'll have to keep expending Dragon Power, but there's no choice.'
Si-mun possessed one of those special measures.
Crrrk.
Si-mun's lithe body rapidly twisted and expanded.
A body growing taller and sturdier, reaching two meters in height.
Having activated his Dragonoid form, Si-mun exhaled deeply, his body now feeling far more at ease than before.
'Now I can finally breathe.'
The Dragonkin—one of the Arena's most elite races.
Having amplified their traits by mixing them with the Obsidian Tablet,
even Azshita's notorious water pressure couldn't faze Si-mun.
Of course—
The viewers tilted their heads in confusion at Si-mun's sudden Dragonoid transformation,
but they quickly understood when the next scene unfolded.
Blub blub.
Not far away, white bubbles erupted.
The figure responsible—likely another participant in this Promotion Match—was a species quite familiar to the viewers.
The dimension Insectia, the stage of the last Platinum Promotion Match.
One of its resident insectoid species, an Insector, was writhing, clutching its own neck in agony.
Si-mun's eyes narrowed slightly as he observed it.
'That's... a Vespa?'
An Insector with the appearance of a wasp.
A Vespa—the same species as Verpark, the Squadron Commander and Hidden Boss from a past Promotion Match—
[Gurgle!]
Letting out a scream in the Insectors' distinctive vocalization, it flailed desperately.
But only for a moment.
Snap.
Perhaps because of its insectoid form?
Its limbs, disproportionately thin for its body, snapped like twigs.
Crunch.
The sound of its wings crumbling like sand was enough to send shivers down one's spine.
And then—
The viewers couldn't hide their shock.
But instead of sharing their astonishment—
Whoosh.
Si-mun immediately advanced toward the Vespa.
However—
Was there a problem?
"Tsk."
Cutting through the water, Si-mun clicked his tongue softly, his entire body tensing.
But since the distance wasn't too great—
He reached the Vespa, whose shoulders were now breaking apart after its limbs.
CRACK!
Without hesitation, his sleek, platinum-like hand pierced straight through its chest.
[Guh...]
Blub.
A short, guttural sound.
Along with it, the Vespa convulsed, leaving behind white bubbles as its body was torn open.
Si-mun allowed a faint smile.
"At least I got an easy kill."
An Insector—especially a Vespa, practically a wasp—had the worst compatibility with underwater maps like this.
So encountering one here was essentially a free kill.
But the smile didn't last long.
Shhhk.
Pulling his arm out of the Vespa's chest, Si-mun looked down at his limb with slight discomfort in his eyes, just like before.
'Even with Dragonoid active... The water pressure is still uncomfortable.'
Azshita's water pressure.
Thanks to his Dragonoid form, he was no longer in life-threatening danger—
Yet he still couldn't escape the various constraints imposed by the underwater environment.
'In that case... The Dragon Body Transformation and Sharkrodon Body Tissue from my Gold Debut Match would've been far better.'
Si-mun recalled how effortlessly he had navigated the water back then, as if it were his own home.
Then—
"Wait. Now that I think about it..."
A sudden doubt flashed through his mind.
'Dragonoid is an evolved form of Dragon Body Transformation, isn't it?'
Dragonoid—the product of fusing Dragon Body Transformation with human refinement.
Since it had replaced Dragon Body Transformation entirely, it should have surpassed it in every aspect.
'Then why is moving underwater more cumbersome than before?'
Why had it regressed in aquatic mobility compared to Dragon Body Transformation?
The moment that thought fully formed—
"Ah."
Si-mun let out a small sigh.
The reason was obvious.
'The Naga lineage factor!'
The memory of the Naga lineage factor granted by Princess Ashaz resurfaced.
Si-mun urgently retraced the events of that time.
'Back when Princess Ashaz bestowed me with the Naga royal lineage factor...'
[Princess Ashaz of the Naga has granted you the Naga royal lineage factor.]
[The aquatic capabilities of Dragon Body Transformation have been enhanced.]
[The influence of Death Eye on Naga has increased.]
'It affected both Dragon Body Transformation and Death Eye.'
He had already experienced the amplified effect of Death Eye on Naga firsthand in the Cradle of the Spirit King.
But that was strictly limited to Death Eye—an entirely separate domain from Dragon Body Transformation.
'It said the aquatic capabilities of Dragon Body Transformation were enhanced, not absorbed.'
Which meant—
The Dragonoid that had assimilated Dragon Body Transformation did not inherit the Naga royal lineage factor.
'In other words, the Naga royal lineage factor is still somewhere in my body.'
Swoosh.
Si-mun immediately closed his eyes.
—Why's he closing his eyes again?
—?? What's going on?
—Everything Lord Si-mun does has a reason~
—New viewers are so confused lol
—Fr fr. Y'all better adapt quick.
Though the viewers were puzzled, Si-mun—who had the chat turned off—calmly yet swiftly turned his focus inward.
'Found it.'
And he did.
On the back of his left hand—the very spot where Princess Ashaz had pressed her lips.
Then—
'If I fuse this into Dragonoid...'
The moment he guided the Naga royal lineage factor to the center of his chest—where the Philosopher's Stone resided—and assimilated it into Dragonoid—
[The Naga royal lineage factor has been fully absorbed into the trait: Dragonoid.]
[The trait: Dragonoid has evolved.]
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
A violent surge of sparks erupted across his entire body, accompanied by the system message.
It was the alchemical spark that manifested during high-level synthesis.
Then—
[The Constellation Black Goat gazes at you with keen interest.]
[The Constellation Ra watches you with a displeased glare.]
Along with the Constellations' reactions appearing before his eyes—
Sluuuurp.
Something akin to tendrils stretched out from the Philosopher's Stone, spreading across his entire body.
Fortunately—
Unlike before, the pleasure wasn't intense enough to cloud his mind.
Only a faint itch lingered at the tips of his ears, wrists, and ankles.
But then—
"Huh?!"
Si-mun couldn't help but gasp.
From the areas that had itched—
'W-Webbed fingers?!'
Platinum webbing had formed between them.
Soon—
As the itching completely faded, Si-mun lightly flicked his wrist.
Whoosh!
His arm swung through the water even faster and lighter than it would have on land.
"This is insane..."
An awed murmur escaped his lips before he could stop it.
The seas of Azshita.
Through the deep blue waters, vast as the sky—
Shweeeeek!
Something darted forward at a speed sharp enough to tear through the currents.
Like a swift aquatic predator—
In an instant, it sliced through the azure depths—
"Huh? No!"
"A-Ambush!"
—and rammed straight into the Players struggling through Azshita's waters.
Crunch.
Squelch.
With grotesque, squelching noises—
"Guhhk!"
"Glrk!"
Regardless of species, they were obliterated in an instant.
To which—
—Another one-shot? How many is that now lol
—Looking at how slow everyone else is, seems like there's some kind of innate Slow debuff in the water, huh?
-But why is this guy so damn fast?
-Exactly, the others can't even react even when they see him coming.
For a brief moment, the chat was filled with nothing but questions.
-That's... because it's Si-mun.
-Ah. That 'pattern' again?
-Cut him some slack. What can you do? lol
-When you get hit by Si-mun for the first time, there's nothing you can do lolol
-Yup, what can you do against Si-mun~
For those who had experienced Si-mun's arena battles countless times, it was no issue at all.
But another chat window told a different story.
=Seriously! Another one-shot?
=Didn't they say he was human? Where the hell does that look human?
=Exactly. That's a Dragonkin!
=What low-tier races are you two from? He literally just transformed from human to Dragonkin earlier.
Perhaps because this was a Promotion Match assigned to the official Arena?
The chat from another dimension, exclusive to the official Arena, was pure chaos.
And for good reason.
=How the hell can a human transform into a Dragonkin?
=Must be a trait. Or maybe he's a Druid.
=What kind of insane administrator would create a trait that lets you turn into a Dragonkin?
=Same goes for Druids. What kind of Druid can transform into a Dragonkin?
The first time they saw Si-mun's form—
A human who had clearly transformed into a Dragonkin.
But the other races' shock didn't end there.
=The ocean in Azshita is terrifyingly dense and viscous compared to a normal sea...
=And he's just swimming through it like it's nothing?
=That's impossible unless you're high Diamond or a top-ranked player.
=Agreed. That's the only way his combat power makes sense.
=But this is a Diamond Promotion Match. Judging by the matched races, it's just a high-MMR bracket.
=And from the way he's only engaging in close combat, he seems like a combat-type... but he doesn't look that strong.
=What lowly race are you from? Can't you see he's not even going all out?
Debates raged endlessly about Si-mun's movements through Azshita's depths and his combat prowess.
Especially—
=So this guy isn't human, then?
=I don't think so. Look at the webbing between his fingers—he must be a water-related race.
=But even among water-related races, few can traverse Azshita like this.
=Unless it's a race like the Naga, who usually dominate these waters.
=Now that you mention it, he does resemble a Naga in some ways.
=Are you guys from the lowest-tier races? Where the hell does he look like a Naga?
=Seriously. Have you even met a Naga before? Your rank is suspicious.
The chat erupted with doubts about Si-mun's race.
And then—
'Wow... It's been ages since I've seen cross-dimensional chat.'
Si-mun let out a silent laugh as he watched the chat from another dimension—something he'd seen in his past life.
'In my past life, the chat merged into one as soon as the official Arena opened. Seeing them split like this feels refreshing.'
Especially—
'Ah, the race-bashing jokes were already common back then.'
The habit of belittling other races by targeting their lineage—
It was one of the classic tropes of cross-dimensional chat he'd seen in his past life.
Back then, he'd found it irritating.
'Who'd have thought I'd actually miss this?'
Strangely enough, it felt nostalgic now.
'Either way, I should minimize the cross-dimensional chat too.'
Si-mun opened Arenia and set the new cross-dimensional chat to minimized mode.
Then, just like Earth's chat—
Whoosh.
The densely packed real-time chat instantly shrank down to a minimized notification next to Earth's chat.
"Much better now."
His vision cleared up like wiping smudges off glasses.
Satisfied, Si-mun nodded.
"Anyway..."
He glanced around.
'Did I go too deep chasing kills? It's pretty dark.'
Had he been too focused on hunting?
The surroundings, which had once resembled open skies, now felt like the depths of the sea—
Growing darker by the minute.
Si-mun peered into the deepening abyss below.
'The deeper you go, the water pressure doubles. Most don't venture too far down—there are sea monsters, too.'
Because of that, unless you had exceptional abilities,
avoiding the depths was the basic strategy for surviving Azshita.
'Still no signs of anything. I should head up.'
Just as Si-mun turned to ascend—
"Hm?"
Had he not absorbed the essence of the Naga royalty,
he might not have sensed it—the faintest ripple in the water.
Si-mun's gaze instinctively turned toward it.
'That's...'