Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 160
>Chapter Title: Thunder Dragon Descent
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>People say that when you're too shocked, words fail you.
And that was true.
'G-Gold... Gold...!'
Do-hyun clutched his left chest, stammering incoherently, unable to get the words out.
It wasn't an exaggeration—he really felt like he might get forcibly logged out.
He took deep breaths in rapid succession, trying to calm his racing heart.
'...Like hell I can calm down, fuck! It's legendary! Legendary!'
No amount of breathing was going to help.
This was legendary grade. Not an item or title—a legendary skill!
The demonic skill he hadn't obtained even after rotting away in Demlock for three years and claiming the number one ranking.
The skill he still hadn't gotten, even with that bullshit cheat called Eye of Truth.
'To think the day would come in my life when a legendary skill pops up...'
How badly had he wanted it all this time?
All his comrades carried two each, but he was the only one without any.
It was heartbreaking not getting chicken with school lunch when everyone else did, but legendary skills were worse—like missing out on prime 1++ Hanwoo beef all by yourself.
-What is it, another rare skill?
-Wow... We get probability guarantees on this hidden, and you still only get rare? Me and that concept freak got heroics.
-Heh... You losers. Heroics? I got legendary.
-...Fuck.
Even when they'd all cleared the hidden quest together, admired the scenic view from atop Dragon Rock, and used their random skill tickets.
Do-hyun was the only one who'd gotten a rare skill.
They'd even consumed special powder that boosted probabilities as a hidden piece, but he still ended up with rare.
How envious he'd been watching Bora Ajusshi gleefully test his new legendary skill! How pathetic he'd felt!
-That guy who follows you around got three legendaries already~ Is this okay for your idol? A ranker without a legendary skill!? Pfft!
-...
-Kyah~ Legendary flavor is the best! You have no idea what you're missing.
-Hey, Kkukku, cut it out. I'd be crying if I were him.
-Hey, are you crying? Whoa, is this dude actually crying? Nah?
-...Someday, I'll definitely get one.
Do-hyun, who was 19 at the time, had sworn it with venom in his heart. But that resolve proved pointless; he never held a legendary skill until service ended.
Service shutdown came a year and six months later... no, now it was a year and seven months.
Four years after shedding his first tears in life and steeling his venomous resolve.
Flash-!
That tear-soaked, plump legendary skill shone brilliantly before Do-hyun's eyes.
"Ahh..."
How radiant it was.
The man who'd mistaken it for yellow just moments ago was gone. Like someone entranced by will-o'-the-wisps, he stared blankly and drifted closer.
Only when he was right in front of the golden card did Do-hyun snap out of it and swallow hard.
'I wonder what skill it is.'
Legendary skills were as rare as they were powerful, so there weren't many.
About five per class.
Some classes had more, some less, but that was the general rule.
But Do-hyun was an Allmaster.
'No clue what'll pop.'
He could use every combat class skill, so the possibilities were endless.
Dozens of options—maybe over a hundred.
Pure luck of the draw.
Normally, he'd be cautious about those odds, but not today.
'Whatever it is, who cares? It's legendary!'
What did specs matter when it was legendary?
Even the most useless one would have potential that covered for it just by being legendary!
And beyond that, just getting a legendary skill was thrilling.
To someone else, it was like receiving the Ferrari they'd dreamed of their whole life. To Do-hyun, legendary skills were that Ferrari.
Who'd nitpick horsepower when their lifelong dream Ferrari was right there?
He reached out carefully, heart swelling.
The moment his fingers touched the precious golden card!
Flash-!
Unlike before, a brilliant golden light burst forth, followed by two messages.
[Congratulations!]
[You have acquired the legendary skill 'Thunder Dragon Descent.']
"Hueeeek! F-Fuck! D-Di, Di, did you see thaaaaat?!"
"Huh?"
"What the hell's that noise."
The flippant shout made users pause their card smashing and turn around.
They tilted their heads.
"What? There's nothing there?"
They'd clearly heard it, but nothing was there.
Then someone piped up.
"Huh? Wasn't Kaiser right there?"
"Oh, yeah?"
"What? He vanished while we were smashing cards... Anyone see Kaiser?"
"No clue. I saw him a bit ago, but I avoided looking 'cause I figured he'd rip me apart if our eyes met."
Kaiser had definitely been there, but now he was gone without a trace.
They wondered about it but soon shook it off.
"Hmm... Anyway, let's keep going. Gotta pull at least one yellow today."
"A man's gotta have more swagger than that. Aim for gold. What about you?"
-...Don't talk to me. I'm losing my mind right now. Ha... Emptied my savings... Fuck. Who called this a hot spot?
They were the pulling people.
Gathered at a sacred site for card smashers who devoted everything to it, they quickly refocused on their calling.
* * *
-Good job, Charlie! I believed in you!
-Liza! Liza!
-Mm! As your vassal, protecting my lord's dignity is only natural! This lowly sword has merely done its duty.
Over a kilometer from the redwood rest area.
Charlie, carrying Do-hyun, proudly thumped his chest amid Jihad and Eliza's cheers.
The instant Do-hyun confirmed the legendary skill's name and let out a roar, Charlie had moved like lightning, scooped him up, and bolted.
"Legendary... Legendary... Thunder Dragon... Thunder Dragon Descent... Jackpot... Insane..."
-My lord! Mind your dignity!
"Thunder Dragon Descent... Wow... How fun will it be?"
-Oh dear...! I'll get us farther away first. Take the front!
-Uwaaa! Move before I shove you all aside! You trolls!
-Liza! Liza Liza!
Even then, Do-hyun mumbled in a daze for quite a while, apparently...
'Why do I only remember bits and pieces?'
Was it a daze or had he lost his mind?
Any deeper, and he might've gotten forcibly logged out.
Either way, now that he was back to his senses, he felt mortified.
For his loyal Charlie to seriously worry about his dignity dropping and take emergency action—how bad must it have been?
He wanted to log out right then, but he couldn't, so Do-hyun sighed and said,
"...I'm embarrassed, so put me down."
-Ah, yes. My lord.
-...
Awkward.
Feeling the silence, Do-hyun glanced away.
He needed a topic change.
Conveniently, there was a perfect one now.
[Thunder Dragon Descent]
-Rank: Legendary
-Restriction: Martial Artist classes
-Description: The Thunder Dragon revered by martial artists who wield the martial way.
Those who have glimpsed the edge of the martial way's pinnacle are chosen by the heaven-ruling Thunder Dragon and can wield its power.
-Effect: Upon activation, the Thunder Dragon's power descends from the sky and absorbs into the caster's body.
The aftermath deals area damage to surroundings and scatters electric waves across the nearby area for a short time.
For 100 seconds, lightning power infuses the caster, boosting all speeds, and has a very low chance to shock enemies hit by attacks.
Can use Thunder Teleport twice before duration ends.
-Cooldown: 300 seconds
Thunder Dragon Descent.
Do-hyun's first legendary skill in gaming history!
"Urk...! Too bright."
The dazzling two words 'Legendary' forced Do-hyun to shield his eyes.
Impossible to look at directly.
"Now I finally own a legendary skill? Kyaa!"
-...Why is my lord acting like this?
-Who knows. I'll just roll with it.
-Liza Liza.
His lord was especially weird today.
Even Charlie raised an eyebrow at the ass-shaking spectacle to thin air, but Do-hyun had no attention for that.
He was busy calming his surging, emotional chest.
'Damn... Looking at it like this, no other skill is this cheat.'
Skills came in various types.
Attack, defense, buff, install, movement.
Too many subtypes, so usually classified into those five—and Thunder Dragon Descent's cheat factor lay there.
'An all-purpose skill.'
It covered three of those types—a total bullshit skill.
'Area damage on cast, buffs, and movement... All in one skill?'
All-purpose could mean jack-of-all-trades.
Versatile, but each effect weaker than specialized legendaries.
So plenty disliked them.
But Thunder Dragon Descent was different.
'Un-all-purpose-like insane potential. True all-purpose.'
When first discovered early on, its weak effects drew trash-tier mutt skill reviews.
But late-game, opinions flipped 180 degrees.
Unwritten in text: all effects scaled with user stats.
Late-game potential went berserk.
'Folks said they balanced it that way since martial artists fight up close.'
Martial artists had solid damage and decent mobility, but extreme short range meant always bad conditions.
An underrated class, so it needed this boost.
Thunder Dragon Descent—with mobility, AoE damage, and buffs—was like rain in drought for them.
'Martial artists with it versus without were worlds apart.'
Not just wings on a tiger—turning a lynx into a winged tiger.
Thus, martial artists became late-bloomers.
Indeed, extreme late-game, Thunder Dragon Descent martial artists were monstrous.
Exhibit A: Demlock ranking 7th, Thunder Emperor.
No wonder Bora Ajusshi raved, 'That Pikachu bitch plays the game like shit.'
Do-hyun, with his unprecedented five legendaries, had no room to talk... but he got it.
'Bora Ajusshi got toyed with by Thunder Emperor plenty.'
Funny that rank 5 Bora Ajusshi lost to rank 7, but it wasn't his issue.
At that rank, small gaps meant nothing.
Matchups decided wins easily.
-Hey, you fuck, get over here!
-You come here. That bulky frame must be for sandbagging, right? Can't dodge a single punch.
-What's the point dodging cotton-ball punches? Just get caught once, and I'll smash you.
-Hanging with that bantam made your mouth foul, ajusshi.
-Huh? What the fuck? Why's the fire turning on me? Get over here.
That was them.
Bora Ajusshi: slow but one-shots boosted to insanity to cover weak control.
Thunder Emperor: speed-specialized over damage.
Thunder Emperor couldn't win outright but could harass endlessly if he tried.
Their fights always fizzled out.
-Good sandbag today. I'll drop by once I get a new skill.
-Aw, fuck! That lynx bitch!
-Puhahaha!
-Hey, quit laughing and help? Just grab her.
-Nah, then it's not a duel. Fight fair one-on-one like a man? I'm upholding your pride, ajusshi!
-Aw, dude...
So it was fun watching chill ajusshi turn arch-nemesis mode whenever they crossed paths...
'He'll lose his shit seeing me use it.'
Do-hyun pictured wide eyes, blank blinks, clutching the back of his head.
He chuckled and stepped forward.
Kree?
Kreeee—
Trolls hiding behind blue trees reacted and emerged.
Perfect guinea pigs for testing.
"Thunder Dragon Descent."
As thanks for volunteering, Do-hyun called out crisply.
A crisp alert sounded, and lightning struck.