Chapter 189
Chapter 189
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 189
>Chapter Title: The Scythe of Horrific Nightmares
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[Scythe of Horrific Nightmares]
>[Grade: Hero+ (Raid Equipment)]
>[Description: The dream witch and ruler of nightmares, Luidra.
>Her scythe, imbued with the power of horrific nightmares. An alien force that clashes with holy power and slices through it can be felt.]
>[Level Restriction: 71]
>[Wear Restriction: Monk class]
>[Physical Attack Power: 1081~1137]
>[Durability: 100 / 100]
>[Holy Destroyer: Can cleave and destroy holy power lower than the wearer's mana.]
>[Faint Nightmare: Low chance to inflict the status ailment 'Nightmare' when slashing enemies.]
[Ominous Nightmare Earrings]
>[Grade: Hero+ (Raid Equipment)]
>[Description: The dream witch and ruler of nightmares, Luidra.
>Her earrings, imbued with the power of ominous nightmares. They devastate the enemy's mind.]
>[Level Restriction: 71]
>[Wear Restriction: None]
>[Magic Resistance: 600]
>[Durability: 50 / 50]
>- Strength +5
>- Mana +3
>[Devastated Mind: Low chance to inflict the status ailment 'Devastation' when slashing enemies.]
>[Mental Superiority: 16% additional damage against devastated enemies.]
[Sinister Nightmare Bracelet]
>[Grade: Hero+ (Raid Equipment)]
>[Description: The dream witch and ruler of nightmares, Luidra.
>Her bracelet, imbued with the power of sinister nightmares. It confuses the enemy's mind.]
>[Level Restriction: 71]
>[Wear Restriction: None]
>[Magic Resistance: 601]
>[Durability: 50 / 50]
>- Stamina +3
>- Mana +5
>[Confused Mind: Low chance to inflict the status ailment 'Confusion' when slashing enemies.]
>[Confusion Amplification: Targets afflicted with Confusion have a higher chance of receiving status ailments.]
'All three are Hero+... This is insane.'
He'd had high hopes after seeing the 'Hidden Named' title, but this exceeded even those expectations.
Normally, raid bosses dropped just one or two items of the highest grade.
>Everything else was lower-grade gear—that was basic common sense.
>So he'd been prepared to be satisfied with just the weapon coming out as Hero+.
>But all three pieces of equipment were top-grade. How could he not be thrilled?
>And they weren't just any gear—they were raid equipment, no less.
'Raid gear is treated as a higher tier even within the same grade.'
It didn't quite match Legendary items, but it was right below them.
>If anything, somewhere between Hero+ and Legendary.
>That was why high rankers from the Top 10 Guilds staked their lives on raids.
'Legendary raid gear is on another level altogether.'
In particular, the top-tier Legendary raid bosses boasted insane performance to match their brutal difficulty.
>They were worth their weight in gold, so to speak.
>And that made sense—Legendary raid bosses were so rare that even high rankers couldn't hunt them whenever they wanted.
'The view count on that last Legendary raid boss clear video was 2 billion, right?'
It was probably the Execution Guild's raid footage.
>He remembered the army barracks buzzing with talk about it back then.
>Shaking his head at the memories of sucking his thumb and agonizing over wanting to hunt one himself, Do-hyun refocused.
'Someday I'll get my shot.'
These weren't Legendary raid gear, but they were just one step below.
>In the current level bracket, they were practically the ultimate graduation set.
>That was why these items were leagues above anything else he'd gotten.
'Cheonbyeon's max attack power is 813 right now, I think?'
Considering Cheonbyeon's trait of scaling with the user's level and the highest-grade weapon it had devoured, Luidra's scythe had a whopping 300 more attack power than other Hero+ weapons.
>The other two accessories were also top-tier stats for their grade.
'And the options are perfect.'
Abilities specialized for sweeping through enemies.
>The Holy Destroyer option, in particular, was a cheat-level counter to priests as long as his mana held up.
>And the options didn't end there.
[Luidra's Nightmare Set]
>-3-Set: Upon entering combat with Holy-type enemies, Defense and Damage increase by 25%. 10% additional damage to enemies afflicted with Nightmare. All stats +10.
'At this point, you'd think Luidra had a grudge against priests.'
The options were such extreme counters to priests that it was almost like she hated them.
>But they weren't only strong against priests.
>Options that inflicted tricky status ailments on every attack while buffing the user were excellent in general.
'The probabilities are low, though...'
It didn't matter.
>They suited his style of not dodging much and hitting hard all the more.
>There were even conditional options that boosted those probabilities, so if he just beat on them relentlessly, something was bound to stick.
>This made turning Hero Guild into enemies worth it.
'If I weren't an All-Master, I'd be crying right now.'
He'd have had to sell off the raid gear he'd worked so hard for, tears in his eyes.
[Level insufficient. Cannot equip.]
The only downside was the level 71 restriction, meaning he couldn't equip them yet... but Do-hyun shook off the regret quickly.
>He'd gained two levels from killing Luidra anyway, hitting 69 already.
>Just two more levels—it wouldn't take long.
"Alright then..."
Closing his inventory with a grin, Do-hyun looked up.
>With this, Epitaizer was done and dusted.
'Time to go wake Angela.'
Having finished the exquisite appetizer, it was time for the main course.
* * *
[Handed the Spark of Purification to Gilberun.]
>[Completed quest 'Spark of Purification.']
"My god, you've already rescued it!"
"In the world... It really is the Spark of Purification. We hoped you'd bring it, but so quickly... Ahh, a hero has appeared in Pratel. My king."
When Do-hyun handed over the Spark of Purification, Gilberun and the Knight Commander were beside themselves with shock.
>They stared with eyes wide open, as if they couldn't believe it. Gilberun went even further, his eyes reddening with tears welling up.
'It's giving Charlie flashbacks.'
Glancing sideways, he saw a satisfied-looking Charlie.
-Sound! They all realize my lord's greatness now. This humble sword is so proud to serve you.
-Rizariza!
-You think so too, eh? Splendid attitude. But a bit lacking... How about clapping like this to express your admiration?
-Riza?
-That's it! That's how you show it—clapping hands in awe.
Eliza chiming in enthusiastically and the two of them beaming happily.
>Their bond had grown noticeably closer after fighting Luidra's legion and the Hero Guild members.
-...Eliza's changing. She was my Eliza alone.
Behind them, a sullen Jihad.
>The sentimental atmosphere was practically a father sending off his daughter.
Amid the variously emotional vibes, with everyone standing a bit apart, Luriel approached and tapped Do-hyun's shoulder.
"Nice job. I figured you'd get it, but damn, you were fast. Even with the teleport scroll, those legions must've been a pain."
"...Things worked out—got some aggro-tanks to help out."
"A hero's luck follows him... Something like that? Well, good things are good."
Do-hyun nodded at Luriel's grin.
>Like she said, if it was good now, that was enough. The aftermath could be future Do-hyun's problem.
As he chatted with Luriel, Gilberun calmed down enough to wipe his tears and approach.
"Truly, thank you. You've bestowed an immense grace I can scarcely repay. On my name as Gilberun, I swear to stand by your side until my dying breath."
"Hyde Rackdrier, Knight Commander of Pratel Royal Castle. Though I am no great figure, on my honor as a knight, I shall not hesitate if you need aid."
Ding-
[Gilberun, King of Pratel's favorability has reached maximum.]
>[Overwhelming friendship formed with Gilberun. No matter your plight, he will support you.]
>[Hyde Rackdrier, Knight Commander of Pratel Royal Castle's favorability has reached maximum.]
>[In your hour of need, he will draw his sword without hesitation.]
>[First to form friendship with Pratel Royal Castle.]
>[Recorded in the Book of Adventures.]
'Oh... This is better than expected.'
As the Oracle's Apostle who'd fetched the Spark to awaken Angela, he'd anticipated a good relationship.
>But this level of overwhelming support was more than he'd hoped.
>Now he had two castle lords and two Knight Commanders who'd come running at his call.
'At this rate, I'm the Networking King.'
An achievement even users who staked their lives on favorability grinding couldn't pull off.
>Do-hyun let out a smirk at the feat worthy of the title Networking King.
>In reality, he barely had any friends, yet he was a total hit with the NPCs.
'No reason to turn down help when it's offered.'
He had no immediate use for it, but like the Leved Chance, it'd come in handy someday.
>As he basked in satisfaction at his growing backup...
"Then we just need to deal with that damned witch."
"Yes. It will take time, but taking out Luidra first before awakening Angela is safer. Who knows what tricks she might pull."
"With the Spark of Purification, erasing the mark is only a matter of time. Let's move before she does."
'Hm?'
Do-hyun paused at their chatter.
>What were they talking about? Then he remembered the quest he'd received and let out an exclamation.
'Ah. They don't know I killed Luidra.'
His quest had been to fetch the Spark of Purification—not to defeat Luidra.
>The reason for fetching the Spark in the first place wasn't to wake Angela right away, but to erase the Nightmare Mark and take down Luidra.
'Well, yeah, that's more reliable.'
NPCs being stronger than users in each city was pretty much a given rule.
'So what quest did Hero Guild get?'
From their reactions, it didn't seem like they planned to leave the kill to users...
>Was there an NPC even the king and Knight Commander didn't know about? Come to think of it, titles like Savior of the King's Ghost were weird too.
>Pratel's king was officially Gilberun.
>He was technically a castle lord, not a king, but the citizens treated him as one.
'Hm. Whatever.'
It was full of questions, but at this point, pointless speculation.
>Luidra was already dead.
>And it was time to let them know.
"I'll rally the soldiers at once."
"Yes, please do."
"Uh... Excuse me, you two?"
"Oh, what is it, Oracle's Apostle... no, Hero."
It was rude to interrupt such an important conversation, but Gilberun welcomed him with a bright smile instead of scolding.
>As long as Do-hyun didn't smack him upside the head, most rudeness wouldn't register.
>But that smile shattered in an unexpected way.
"I don't think you need to rally the soldiers."
"...Hm? What do you mean?"
"My head tells me now's the perfect time... Was there something else?"
"No, nothing like that. To cut to the chase—Luidra is already dead."
"..."
Gilberun and Hyde both tilted their heads at the same time.
>They blinked, seemingly unable to process Do-hyun's words.
>But only for a moment.
"...What?"
"Who's dead right now?"
Once they grasped it, the two jumped in shock and demanded answers.
>Instead of replying, Do-hyun pulled out proof to show them. Sometimes evidence spoke louder than a hundred words.
>Resting on Do-hyun's palm was a clump of colorful powder and a colorless, liquidy monster-like blob.
"Is that perhaps...?"
"Yes. Dropped from killing Luidra."
"...My god."
"Insane... What the hell?"
Dream Dust and Nightmare Essence.
>With proof this ironclad, Gilberun was stunned, and even Luriel, who'd been listening, blurted out a curse.
>And it wasn't just them making noise.
Ding-
The system chimed in merrily, as if waiting for its cue.
[Defeated Luidra. Quest 'Spark of Purification' reward changed.]
>[Reward EXP greatly increased.]
>[Level up.]
>[Scheduled special event 'War with Luidra' deleted.]
>[All linked events deleted.]
'...What?'
This time, Do-hyun was the one thrown off.
>The special event he'd pegged as the quest's big reward—deleted?
>Didn't that leave just EXP as the reward?
'What kind of freebie jackpot...!'
Just as irritation surged from his dantian...
Ding-
Another chime rang out.
[Special event deleted. New route event unlocked.]
>[Hidden event 'Ritual of the Final Lantern' unlocked.]
>[Sudden quest 'Angela's Wish' generated.]
'...Huh? What event?'
Hidden? Not even special, but hidden event?
>As his eyes widened at the unfamiliar phenomenon, a blinding light erupted.
Flash-!
"Ugh...!?"
"What in the..."
A brilliant light engulfed the entire room.
>Knight Commander or not, everyone shielded their eyes, Do-hyun included.
>Vision obscured.
>But Do-hyun's was different.
[Eye of Truth activated.]
Thanks to the Eye of Truth, his vision cleared bit by bit.
'...What's that?'
Something glowing red beyond the corner wall.