Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Translation: godtl
"Graaah!"
A deep, guttural roar erupted at a high pitch.
It was understandable.
A massive upper torso somewhere between an orc and a troll.
And the thick tail that should have matched it now flattened like a crushed steel pipe.
One.
"Grrrluk! You—!"
Even as the lowest-ranking Dragonkin, this was unbearable humiliation for Drakan.
"I'll kill you!"
With a furious battle cry, Drakan's double-bladed axe—previously embedded in the ground—surged upward.
Si-mun flicked his fingers with an indifferent expression.
Snap.
The Black Panther's hyper-sensitive nerves spreading from his spine throughout his body.
Entrusting his movements to these heightened senses, Si-mun simply moved.
"Grruk?!"
Drakan's eyes bulged.
In his dumbfounded vision—the double-bladed axe cutting through empty air.
And Si-mun, who had bent his waist with such flexibility it recalled a mollusk.
That's right.
To evade the rising axe blade, this human had folded his body in half.
No time to question how a human could demonstrate flexibility rivaling beastmen.
Snap.
With another finger flick, Si-mun's folded body returned to normal.
Or more accurately—sprang back.
Like an overstretched rubber band.
Before Drakan could even process the movement.
CRACK!!
Something long—presumably a leg—slammed down on Drakan's skull.
'It hurts!'
Skull-rattling pain radiated through Drakan's entire body.
Simultaneously.
'I'll kill him! Tear him limb from limb!'
Rage as intense as the pain surged through him.
He'd grab the leg that struck his head, smash its owner into the ground.
Then gut the bastard alive and pull out his entrails.
Just as Drakan resolved to move—
"Gr...?"
His head tilted in confusion.
The world seemed to split apart like high-level illusion magic.
And those divided worlds were collapsing at terrifying speed.
'What the hell...?'
Did this human possess magic rivaling noble high-ranking Dragonkin?
But seeing the human's leg planted firmly on the ground made him realize.
What was splitting and collapsing wasn't the world.
Thud.
It was him.
A heavy vibration brushed against his soles.
The tremor fitting for Drakan's massive frame with its abnormally developed upper body.
Si-mun looked down at Drakan's head—
Now splayed open like a split fish head, eyeballs protruding.
'Didn't think one hit would finish it.'
Si-mun examined the leg that had crushed Drakan's skull.
Two information windows floated side by side:
[Black Panther's Body Tissue] and [Ogre's Body Tissue].
'Simultaneous Transmutation really is something.'
Simultaneous Body Transmutation.
A transmutation ability unlocked when [Obsidian Tablet] reached 40% completion.
Literally allowing multiple body transmutations on a single body part simultaneously.
'Definitely different from Multiple Transmutation.'
Previously, executing that attack would've required two separate transmutations.
First using [Black Panther's Body Tissue] to position for speed and precision.
Then canceling it to newly transmute [Ogre's Body Tissue].
Simultaneous Body Transmutation eliminated that hassle.
Moreover, it delivered inhuman power combining both advantages.
'The power boost is noticeably different.'
Si-mun smiled satisfactorily at the completion percentages displayed:
[Black Panther's Body Transmutation] had risen from 12% to 24%.
[Ogre's Body Synthesis] had increased from the original 15% to 30%.
Just as expected, both had doubled in strength.
Had it not been for this,
no matter how much of a Transcendent Silver-tier Gra he was, it would have been impossible to obliterate Drakan in a single strike.
And it wasn't just Si-mun who was shocked by Drakan's death.
-? Did Drakan just get one-shot?
-One-shot Drakan lolololol. Is this guy for real?
-How many Gold-tier upper-rankers can one-shot Drakan right now.......
-This guy's Silver? This bastard's 100% a fraud.
Si-mun's chat window.
A heated debate about him was unfolding there.
-Stop spouting nonsense about him being a fraud.
-He used Fist Energy when he took down Don King too. He's not a fraud.
-If he's not a fraud, then what? He didn't even use Fist Energy just now.
-For real lol. This dude doesn't even have equipment. Does it make sense to one-shot someone barefoot?
-Exactly. What, is he an Ogre or something lol.
Despite the protests from viewers of his previous broadcast insisting he wasn't a fraud,
the negative sentiment toward Si-mun refused to die down.
It wasn't hard to understand why.
He had shattered Drakan's skull in one hit—without Aura or equipment.
However.
-Did you see how he kept flicking his fingers during the fight? Must be related to some trait.
-22. Definitely a trait. The fact that there's zero mention of it means most of you are probably normies.
-For real lol. Probably at least an SS-tier trait or higher?
-King-class humans acting up again. Famous Rankers used Fist Energy even in low ranks, you know? This guy's just built different.
As those who appeared to be current Players chimed in one by one, the mood in the chat shifted again.
Of course, Si-mun couldn't see this chat.
Though faint chat notifications flickered at the edge of his vision,
[Constellation Heavenly Demon smiles faintly.]
[Constellation Zeus nods in satisfaction.]
[Constellation Black Goat cackles.]
The Constellations' reactions were far more noticeable.
[The three Constellations whisper among themselves.]
[The three Constellations have collectively sponsored 1,000 Achievement Points.]
An unexpected sponsorship window popped up before Si-mun's eyes.
'Oh-ho!'
Si-mun's eyes sparkled as he checked the sponsorship.
'To think they'd sponsor 1,000 points just for taking down one Drakan.'
He had already guessed from the Constellations' earlier reactions that they didn't care much for Drakan,
but he never imagined they'd go as far as sponsoring 1,000 points.
'No, it's not just about Drakan.'
Beings of the Constellations' stature wouldn't spare a second thought for a lowly Dragonkin like Drakan.
'Seems like they just hate the Dragonkin in general, huh?'
Why, though?
Before he could dwell on the question, a rough guess came to mind.
'The Dragon Emperor. They must've had some friction with him.'
The Dragon Emperor.
The enigmatic beings who first revealed themselves on Earth during the Great Outbreak in Germany in his past life.
Even the mighty Dragons bowed their heads before these entities, whose descent ravaged not just Germany
but half of Europe in a single day, etching themselves into the world's memory.
A faint smile tugged at Si-mun's lips.
'Whatever the reason, the Constellations' hatred for the Dragonkin works in my favor.'
Dragonkin frequently appear as boss-type enemies in the Arena.
Looking ahead, this dynamic would likely bring him many benefits like sponsorships.
Si-mun gave a slight nod of gratitude into the air before moving on.
Not long after,
Thud, thud.
A faint vibration, like the beating of a drum, reached him.
Si-mun immediately lowered his stance and sharpened his senses.
"Kru-luk!"
"Kruk!"
From the small left passageway, the same eerie cries as before echoed toward him.
'Dragonkin.'
Si-mun crouched even lower.
The Dragonkin themselves weren't the problem.
'If I act carelessly, I might just make the situation more difficult.'
If there were dozens of them, or if some hidden Arena condition was triggered, it would be trouble.
Si-mun moved with extreme caution, scanning his surroundings thoroughly.
That is, until he heard the scream.
"Aaaagh!"
'A scream?'
Flick.
His fingers snapped.
The Transmutation Power flowing from his chest instantly took form as [Black Panther's Body Tissue], igniting his lower body.
Thud-thud-thud!
Si-mun sprinted toward the source of the scream at full speed.
In mere seconds—
"Gruk! This one's the last."
"Gruk! So fun!"
—three Dragonkin, filling the corridor, came into view.
One of them was holding a bloodstained double-bladed axe high above its head.
There was no need to think.
Judging by the pools of blood scattered around, the axe's target must have been the one who had just screamed.
"Hmm."
Si-mun's expression twisted slightly.
Even with [Black Panther's Body Tissue] at 24% completion, reaching that spot before the Dragonkin's axe fell was impossible.
'Then...'
Flick.
Another snap of his fingers.
As if responding to the motion—
—the neatly polished floor sparked with the unique energy of Transmutation and surged upward.
Thunk.
It pierced straight through the chest of the Dragonkin holding the axe aloft.
"Gr-gruk?!"
"What the—?!"
The two Dragonkin snickering beside it jolted in shock.
Then—
Crunch.
The head of the Dragonkin on the right crumpled like a discarded can with a sickening sound.
A stone pillar, transmuted from the ceiling, had smashed down onto its skull.
"Y-you human!"
The last remaining Dragonkin, finally grasping the situation, swung its axe in panic.
True to its race's reputation for surpassing even orcs in raw strength, the hefty double-bladed axe flew forward like an arrow—
Thud.
"Gruk?!"
The axe stopped dead, as if blocked by solid rock.
No—it was moving.
"W-what the...?"
To be precise, it was trembling violently.
And all that stood in its way was a slender arm, less than a third the thickness of its own.
"Well, I guess this is what you'd expect from Dragonkin. It's shaking a bit."
The human gripping the axe handle smirked leisurely—
Flick.
—and snapped the fingers of his other hand.
Then—
Crreeak.
"Kyaaaagh!"
An excruciating pain wracked the Dragonkin's arm.
When it turned its gaze—
—the axe handle had transformed into a massive serpent, coiling around its thick forearm and squeezing with crushing force.
Above it, the axe blade reared like the venomous head of a snake, poised to strike.
"Rest in pieces."
Crunch.
That was the last thing the Dragonkin saw.
[You have successfully performed continuous high-level Multiple Transmutations.]
[Transmutation Power has increased by 1.]
After checking the welcome message, Si-mun looked down at the Dragonkin with its split skull.
'So much for this being a Special Arena. Doesn't look like the monsters' stats are nerfed like they were with that Hobgoblin last time.'
Even though these were low-tier Dragonkin, they could still hold their own against his enhanced body transmutation.
And that was after he'd dumped all five of his leftover stat points from his last level-up into Transmutation Power.
"Dragonkin really are Dragonkin, huh."
Not that Si-mun had gone all out—he hadn't even used Heavenly Demon Arts.
Still, their brute strength was undeniably impressive.
But he wasn't the only one impressed.
Wow...... holy shit! Is this for real?
Wasn't this guy supposed to be Combat Class? Is he actually Magic Class?
Did you see him flick his fingers again? Could that be a trait?
You didn't see the floor and weapons transforming? What kind of trait even shows abilities like that?
Yeah yeah. That's definitely magic.
The chat window was burning up.
And it wasn't unreasonable.
From his fight with Don King until now.
Si-mun had fought using only his physical abilities.
Especially since—
Seriously, the terrain and weapon transformations earlier have nothing to do with magic.
Agreed. I'm a Gold-rank Magic Class player, and even I think calling that "magic" feels off.
For real. And there's no casting or incantations, so labeling it as magic is a stretch.
It's probably something like Spirit Arts. Those don't require casting, right?
Chat messages from what seemed to be Players poured in rapidly, each continuing their own debates.
'Huh? The chat's on fire.'
This time, Si-mun had the leisure to check the chat.
He quickly skimmed through the messages.
'Hmm. These are predictable questions, but...'
The armchair Diamonds are going wild.
What do you guys even know?
It's not magic, lol. LMAO, I'm actually speechless.
The chat scrolled at an insane speed, growing increasingly heated and filled with rough language.
Si-mun felt the need to moderate this blazing chat somewhat.
'But I don't have a manager for this... Never mind. I should cool this down myself.'
Thinking of the three Constellations, he shook his head and spoke.
"Everyone. I'm not Combat Class—I'm Magic Class."
For real?
See? It's Spirit Arts.
"It's not Spirit Arts."
Then what is it? You used magic without any casting!
What's your trait, then?
Are you using some kind of bug exploit?
But it seemed to backfire.
The chat only flared up even more.
Though it didn't last long.
Why are you guys being dicks even after he answered? Flicking his fingers could be a trait related to casting.
Unbelievable. Do you guys just casually demand people reveal their traits?
How many of you loudmouths are even Awakened?
It's a bug, lol. You reek of someone who's never even Awakened.
I can let most things slide, but calling it a bug exploit is disgusting. Han River, now.
Among Awakened, demanding personal information from strangers—outside of close acquaintances or guildmates—was outright rude.
The Players who knew this were furious.
And in a world where Players held priority,
their voices naturally dominated the chat.
If it's not, then it's not. Why so sensitive?
Can't we even ask? This is some next-level discrimination.
Awakened supremacy, lol.
The non-Awakened had no choice but to back down.
Not just because of their status, but because their expertise simply couldn't match real Players.
[I Am Gold has donated 500 AP.]
= Let's keep the chat civil, everyone. Asking for personal info is rude regardless of Awakening status.
With the donation added to the mix, the blazing chat instantly simmered down.
To ease the awkward atmosphere, Si-mun spoke up.
"Alright, everyone, calm down. I can't reveal my trait, but I'll confirm my class. I really am Magic Class."
He actually answered? That's sweet of him.
You didn't have to answer... but thanks for clearing it up!
TY TY.
"Haha! It's fine. It's a natural question in this situation."
He laughed softly, smoothly wrapping up the mood.
[PossibleChung has donated 100 AP.]
= Magic Class for real! I'm Possible, bro!
Of course, he didn't respond to the last donation.
"Let's continue, then."
Taking a breath, Si-mun turned toward the survivor the Drakan had been attacking.
Had the Drakan's rampage started even before he arrived?
The surroundings were littered with blood and flesh, mangled beyond recognition.
And among it all—
"Ugh...."
'This guy—!'
His eyes widened as he spotted the survivor groaning in pain.