Chapter 171
Chapter 171
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 171
>Chapter Title: Rampage in the Troll Enclave
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Blue Tree Forest, Troll Enclave in the Corner.
Do-hyun arrived at a relatively remote spot among the many troll enclaves and wore a satisfied expression.
“This should do it.”
-Indeed, there’s no one around. Looks like we found a good spot, my lord.
-Hah... hah... Too fast. S-slow down...
Charlie stood wiping sweat from his brow, while Jihad panted for breath a short distance away.
It was all because Do-hyun, in his excitement, hadn’t held back on speed and had just bolted ahead, leaving them struggling to keep up.
Charlie, being a knight, had the stamina to manage, but Jihad the necromancer was on the verge of collapse.
-Liza! Liza!
-...Jealous. I wanna ride in the pocket too.
-Liza? Liza!
-With my build? No way in hell, man.
Jihad grumbled at Eliza, who beamed innocently, oblivious to the ordeal.
Do-hyun chuckled and took a step forward.
A message appeared.
[You have entered the Troll Enclave.]
The message popped up, but this wasn’t a dungeon.
Nor was it a hidden field. It was just an incidental spot attached to the field.
No extra benefits or sudden quests appeared.
One might wonder what the point of the enclave was, but for those confident in their skills, it was a honey of a hunting ground.
[Trolls have detected an intruder. Prepare for battle.]
No need to lure the monsters—they came charging to eliminate intruders on their own.
The difficulty ramped up, but that just meant massive experience gains in a short time.
‘Perfect place for testing.’
That was why Do-hyun had come here.
Nowhere was better suited to experiment with Fierce Strike Slash.
Plus, most of Luriel’s quest materials were in the enclave. Two birds with one stone.
Speak of the devil.
Grraa? Grraaah!
Grraaah!
A pack of trolls spotted Do-hyun and charged.
Over ten of them.
More than in the enclave he’d visited during the last quest.
This must’ve been one packed with trolls.
-Should I summon the undead?
“No.”
-Okay.
Jihad sheepishly stepped back.
Do-hyun, meanwhile, advanced a step.
Grraaah!
That alone closed the distance dramatically.
Do-hyun had taken a wide stride, but the trolls were frenzied in their rush.
Soon, the gap narrowed to about 4 meters.
[Fierce Strike Slash activates.]
[Fierce Strike energy infuses the sword.]
Do-hyun’s form glided forward.
Like a butterfly flitting, then a bee stinging. His hazy silhouette exploded into motion, swinging the blade.
A faint green energy coated the sword.
Slash-!
One strike.
Grraaahh—
The troll slashed by the sword staggered back several steps from the pale green shockwave bursting forth.
Do-hyun took another step.
The sword swung again.
Two strikes.
[Troll of the Enclave defeated.]
Two slashes to fell the troll.
Then another troll lunged from behind.
Again, two slashes.
But the next instant—
[Four-Strike stack active.]
[Damage stacks.]
[Strike distance increases with stacks.]
[Use within 1 second to chain strikes.]
Slash- grraaah!
Five strikes.
[Troll of the Enclave defeated.]
One slash dropped the troll.
The sword, now glowing yellow, brimmed with newfound ferocity.
From there, the rampage began.
Slash! Slash—
Seven strikes, nine strikes, twelve...
Each swing forward claimed a troll.
That was it.
Even trolls enraged by their comrades’ deaths charged only to be cleaved cold on passing.
[Troll of the Enclave defeated.]
[Trolls have detected an intruder. Prepare for battle.]
Over ten trolls fell, and fresh ones swarmed in an instant.
Nothing changed.
If anything, it intensified.
Whoosh—
Grraa?
Do-hyun’s Fierce Strike now cleaved across over 4 meters in a flash.
What started as a single step became a dashing slash.
[Maximum stack reached.]
[Movement distance at maximum. No further increase.]
[Blocked or missed attacks reset stacks.]
[Sword’s fierce energy reaches maximum, turning red.]
One-shot, one-kill!
No—now cleaving two at a time per strike, Do-hyun became an unstoppable juggernaut.
Like an 8-ton truck with busted brakes.
Boom! Kwang! Slash- thwack!
A skill meant to knockback foes and chain strikes turned into pure civilian slaughter.
Charlie stuck out his tongue watching Do-hyun sweep through the enclave’s trolls like mad.
-That ferocious momentum... It’s definitely the swordsmanship used by the enemy knight commander in the past.
-What, you know it?
-A kingdom long fallen to ruin. The general lost the war in the end, but no one could stand against that man’s presence.
-Oho...?
-Many tried to imitate him, but none wielded his swordsmanship so masterfully. Just how far do our lord’s limits go? His growth rate is nothing short of miraculous.
Blood sprayed with each burst of red energy, felling trolls.
Any foe blocking the path was hacked aside as he pressed on endlessly.
Seeing it felt like facing the Slaughter Ghost from old battlefields once more.
He’d heard fragments of that forgotten swordsmanship had spread to the apostles, but encountering it like this stirred strange feelings.
‘Hmm.’
Do-hyun perked up interest mid-slash as he overheard.
Slaughter Ghost of the battlefield.
Swordsmanship of a ruined kingdom’s knight commander...
‘NPC secret techniques can’t be learned from skill draws right now.’
Otherwise, why would players bother becoming NPC disciples?
Dead NPCs’ techniques an exception?
Hero-grade skills often packed serious power—maybe sourced from lost heroes of yore.
Not just Do-hyun’s guess.
The community loved debating such trivia, and they’d discussed this.
One theory: player skills derived from ancient heroes.
‘Ended up proving that side right, huh.’
Intriguing, but that was all.
Do-hyun smirked and stepped forward, swinging again.
Whoosh—
“Ah.”
He froze as the blade whistled through empty air.
The enemies were gone.
[Failed to activate Fierce Strike Slash within 1 second.]
[Fierce Strike Slash ends.]
[Most Trolls of the Enclave eliminated.]
‘Nearly cleared the whole enclave with one skill. Total bullshit, as expected.’
No trolls in sight—either hiding or terrain kept the rest away.
Had they all rushed out, one skill might’ve wiped the enclave for real.
‘No wonder Purple Bro coveted it so.’
Perfect fit for Purple Bro.
No one in Damage Lock matched his burst damage and raw specs.
If Purple Bro used Fierce Strike Slash...
‘Ugh, nightmare fuel.’
The trolls would’ve been players, every last one.
Anyway, he’d savored the skill’s full effect.
Now to properly clear the enclave and gather materials.
At this pace, he’d finish all the grindy quests faster than two weeks.
‘Alright, let’s go.’
Do-hyun strode forward, momentum high.
Ding—
[10 seconds until logout.]
[Logging out soon. Move to a safe area.]
“......”
Do-hyun scratched his head at the untimely message.
His boiling enthusiasm cooled instantly. Fair enough— he’d squeezed every drop from that hour.
[RCD recording ended.]
“Time’s up for me. I’m headi—”
-Be safe, my lord.
-Let’s rest too.
-Liza! Liza!
Do-hyun’s words cut off as he logged out, but the familiar Charlie, Jihad, and Eliza coolly bid farewell and entered the Guardian Room.
Psssh—
“Another solid day.”
Do-hyun stretched as the capsule opened, a satisfied smile on his face.
Days with good skill pulls always felt great.
He loosened up and headed to the living room, where Hyun-ah crouched on the sofa, back against it, watching TV.
Do-hyun frowned.
‘Mood’s soured already.’
Her shy face from the autograph request flashed in his mind.
His face twisted at the awful memory, and Hyun-ah, meeting his eyes, mirrored the expression.
“What’re you doing? Making your ugly mug even uglier.”
“Saw something too awful today.”
“Mirror?”
“You’re dead meat.”
They traded their usual “compliments” as Do-hyun gulped down water for his parched throat.
Nothing beat an ice-cold glass after gaming.
That’s when it hit.
“When’s the Kaiser vid going up?”
“Pffft!”
“Hey, what the hell! Why spit like a slob!?”
“N-no, just choked. Anyway, why the Kaiser vid?”
Do-hyun sputtered at the sudden topic, flustered.
Hyun-ah tossed her hair back, replying proudly.
“Ah~ I saw Kaiser today. Watched him snag Philbo live. Jealous? His control was insane.”
“...Y-yeah? Didn’t you kinda hate Kaiser? Said Berje over Kaiser.”
“Nah... Didn’t hate him, just wasn’t into it.”
“So why the sudden interest?”
“Seeing him for real, I get why Min and Soo-yeon fangirl so hard.”
Hyun-ah’s eyes misted with nostalgia, bubbling excitedly.
“And Berje’s image took a hit lately, so the hype died down? Sure, face fans still love him, but meh for me now. Kaiser’s way more manly and cool.”
“This crazy...”
“What? Why the cursing?”
“Nothing. Kaiser’s cool. Totally manly.”
“Right?”
Did Hyun-ah realize?
She was praising her brother right now. As Do-hyun vowed never to get caught again—
“Ah!”
Hyun-ah gasped as if struck by a thought, attitude flipping.
She’d been gushing over Kaiser a second ago, now frowning.
“But Kaiser seems like a dick.”
“...? No way.”
“Nah, I heard it clear. Asked for an autograph, and he cussed me out? Guess the rumor’s true—if you piss him off, he folds.”
“N-no, probably misheard. Or he cussed at something else, timing coincidence? You’re overthinking.”
“Really? Felt real... But why’re you defending him? You’re not the type to shield anyone. Unless it’s you shielding.”
Hyun-ah stared suspiciously.
Do-hyun shut his mouth, busted.
Bzzz—
His phone buzzed.
[Kwak Jae-yeol: Holy shit! Saw Kaiser!]
[Kim Doo-hyung: Insane. Vid needs to drop ASAP. Damn...]
[Kim Hyun-soo: Guys, congrats. Jong-hyun’s joining our King God General Kaiser Punch Guild starting today.]
[Yoo Jong-hyun: Couldn’t resist. Kaiser seduced me. This devilish man...]
[Kim Doo-hyung: LOL no way]
[Kwak Jae-yeol: Where’s Do-hyun? Suspicious lately. Barely talks.]
[Kim Doo-hyung: Fr, goes quiet whenever Kaiser comes up. What’s he got with Kaiser?]
Do-hyun swallowed hard under pressure from Hyun-ah and his idiot friends.
‘...Am I getting roasted here?’