Chapter 212
Chapter 212
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 212
>Chapter Title: Blazing Will
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 212
>212.
“Isn’t he supposed to have the Latent Dragon trait or something? How the hell is he that strong?”
“No, even with the Latent Dragon trait, that level seems impossible... He’s only in the low 70s right now.”
No matter how much they chalked it up to high stats, his strength was utterly baffling.
But the most striking thing was Kaiser himself.
“...Master Berje has the overwhelming advantage. And yet he hasn’t landed a single clean hit?”
“Parry success rate of 100%... He’s deflecting all the big skills.”
“That monster bastard... No wonder our guildmates couldn’t even put up a fight and got wrecked.”
“If it weren’t for Kaiser, the game would’ve ended ages ago.”
Every move drew admiration, but that was it.
“Still... Master will win, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
“The gap is huge. Unless he grows a bit more, it looks like an easy win.”
At a glance, the fight seemed evenly matched, but that was just surface-level.
Kaiser was the one clearly taking more damage.
Seeing this, Jihard spoke in an anxious voice.
-...Isn’t the master at a disadvantage here? Those wounds are piling up bit by bit.
-Rizariza...
-Exactly? It’s way more intense than I thought. Shouldn’t we help?
He was worried about his master, locked in such a fierce deadlock.
Hearing Jihard’s uneasy words, Charlie spoke gravely.
-Does it truly look that way to you?
-What do you mean? That’s exactly how it looks!
-Look again, carefully.
-Hmm? Hmmm...
At Charlie’s firm, solemn voice, Jihard opened his eyes wide and stared.
Still unsure, he squinted this time and let out an “Ah.”
-Now it seems you can see it too.
-...Yeah. I see it.
Charlie asked with a pleased, subtle smile, and Jihard nodded.
Once he cast aside his impatience and looked calmly, even Jihard could see it.
How steadfast and relaxed his master’s gaze was. There wasn’t a hint of defeat in it.
That was the reason.
BOOM! Crash!
‘...This feels off.’
Unlike the guild members’ assessment, Berje felt deeply displeased.
In the ten minutes fighting this guy, he hadn’t lost a single clash of strength, and he was inflicting wounds bit by bit.
Berje himself wasn’t unscathed, but compared to this guy, he was in good shape.
He still had 70% health left, after all.
[Health is below 50%.]
>[Be cautious.]
Meanwhile, Kaiser had dipped under 50%.
It wasn’t an overwhelming difference, but Berje held the advantage.
Even so, Berje hated it.
‘This is all the gap I’ve made?’
No matter how many levels this guy had gained in a day, there should’ve been at least a 25-level difference.
And yet, “only” this much.
But what irked him even more was the look in this guy’s eyes.
‘What is that? Why the hell do you look so damn relaxed, Kaiser?’
He was the one losing.
Yet staring into those clear, vibrant eyes somehow made Berje feel like he was the one being hunted.
No, it wasn’t just a feeling.
Unlike this guy, who never lost his composure even while being pushed back and calmly parried attacks, Berje’s own movements were growing frantic.
‘...Ah.’
In that moment, Berje realized.
‘I get it.’
Why he felt so urgent.
Kaiser hadn’t allowed a single clean hit.
No, he hadn’t even let a single attack land properly.
The only times he’d taken even minor hits were when he had to, to land a counter.
Berje, on the other hand?
He’d barely dodged this guy’s attacks a few times.
The implication was clear.
‘...This fight is flowing at his pace.’
Despite his massive level gap, he’d lost control of the fight.
That instinctive realization was what left him feeling so unsettled.
If he’d been just a bit weaker, or if the gap with this guy had been smaller...
What then?
‘I thought I’d caught up... but there’s still this much skill gap?’
As the battle dragged on, even those shouting that Berje had the edge began voicing doubts.
The viewers felt the same.
-What’s going on? Berje and Kaiser’s gap should be huge... but it’s way too close.
-I thought Berje had the edge earlier, but... what? Am I the only one seeing Kaiser as more relaxed?
-Is he hiding something?
-Honestly, Kaiser’s fighting better?
-Berje’s washed up lololol
-Washed up my ass lololol Kaiser’s the insane one.
As more people sensed the disconnect, the chat’s mood began to shift.
That’s when Berje suddenly stopped.
“Heh... Hahaha!”
Do-hyun frowned at the sight of him laughing like a madman.
‘This bastard’s chuunibyou is flaring up again.’
He seemed to be holding back here, but back in Delmork, Do-hyun had seen it countless times.
The way this guy got high on hero delusions and talked and acted like some novel protagonist.
If there was a sword emperor in the historical drama concept crowd, this guy was it for the knight concept.
Even his Kurma build was the classic fantasy hero type... Back then, he’d thought, “What a weirdo,” but now that seemed preferable.
With that handsome parasite-brother face, it just made him even more nauseating.
“I really didn’t expect this level from you.”
“...I didn’t expect this from you either.”
Exchanging words with the same phrasing but opposite meanings, Berje ignored Do-hyun and continued.
“Fine. I admit it. Your skills haven’t rusted a bit. You’ve been a few steps ahead of me the whole time.”
“...”
“It’s enviable, really. I wonder what the world looks like through your eyes...”
Do-hyun listened quietly, thinking this guy was finally saying something right.
Then he felt an odd disconnect.
‘This doesn’t feel like praise.’
From this guy, it wasn’t frustration or admiration—it felt like, “So what?”
“So thank you. For your arrogance.”
Sure enough.
The bastard smirked and revealed his true intentions.
“If you’d had more time, this wouldn’t have happened. That arrogance in throwing away your chance will lead you to ruin.”
Berje slowly advanced toward Do-hyun, who looked puzzled.
As the distance closed, the venom in his smile deepened.
“You know it too. The gap between someone who’s hit level 100 and someone who hasn’t.”
“...”
“Hitting level 100 adds a skill slot. That alone creates a massive difference.”
An extra skill slot meant one more skill in rotation.
Seemingly minor, but it made a huge DPS gap.
Step, step.
But Berje was confident.
“And you know there’s a realm only those who’ve hit level 100 can reach.”
Compared to the realm he was about to enter, one extra slot was child’s play.
Swoosh.
Reaching point-blank range, Berje slowly extended his sword.
The intangible sword aura around the blade began to warp.
Fwoosh—
Just like when Do-hyun cloaked in darkness.
Fwaaaah—!
No, incomparably fiercer energy erupted.
It turned to crimson flames, engulfing the blade in an instant.
Not satisfied, the roaring inferno created heat haze around it, as if it might drop any second.
[Activating Transcendent Trait ‘Blazing Will’s Sword’.]
>[The blade is imbued with the power of fire proportional to the user’s will. The fire’s will is unbreakable and will aid in achieving your goals.]
>[When slashing with the will-infused blade, flames of will ignite.]
>[Proportional to the will’s flames, all stats, damage, and speed massively increase, inflicting continuous damage on enemies.]
>[Once, you may unleash a true slash, and the flames will consume all.]
-Here it comes, the Flame Sword!
-That X-tier broken trait for real.
-Wow, pulling it out already.
-Now it’s really over...
Berje’s trademark, the ability that overcame his PvP weaknesses and defined him.
‘The power that put me here.’
One of the two that forged the current Berje.
And something Kaiser had never faced.
This would lead Berje to victory.
Gripping the Flame Sword and assuming stance, Berje grinned.
“Max level beyond max level... I’ll show you what ‘Transcendence’ truly is.”
* * *
Transcendence.
When an Apostle reaches max level and completes all continents’ trials, pushing growth to the limit.
The system’s leap to a higher realm.
‘A system Delmork didn’t have.’
Like traits, it was newly introduced in God Osero, and Do-hyun had found it intriguing at first.
‘Delmork capped at whatever, but with max level at 100 here, I wondered how they’d balance it... They went with something clever.’
God Osero borrowed much from Delmork but, as a sequel, added plenty of new elements.
Max level at 100, traits, and more...
A few especially piqued Do-hyun’s interest, and Transcendence was one.
Transcendence meant breaking past limits.
Naturally, conditions were tough, and even then, levels varied by the transcendence ritual.
‘And you can do this multiple times...’
It didn’t stop at once; it had stages.
Top 10 Guild Masters had at least two, some more.
And the first stage of Transcendence was...
‘Trait Transcendence.’
The reason Berje wielded such overwhelming traits, and why the gap between Top 10 and Top 100 Guilds was insurmountable.
One Transcendence made a world of difference.
Fwoosh—
“You, who haven’t even Transcended, can’t possibly handle this.”
In that sense, Kaiser— not even max level, let alone Transcended— winning was near impossible.
[Thunder Dragon Descent duration ends and deactivates.]
As if on cue, Thunder Dragon Descent timed out perfectly.
-Kaiser’s screwed.
-Fr, pulling a Transcendent trait on someone not even max level is too much.
-What? It’s his ability. You telling him not to use traits at all?
-Well, this is... over.
After the nail-biting fight split opinions, viewers’ sentiment swung to Berje in an instant.
No room for hope anymore.
Click, click, click, click.
The elite fighters encircling them smirked like they’d already won, tightening the net.
-...He can still win this, right?
-Hmm... I believe in our lord.
-Rizar?
Even Charlie subtly avoided Jihard and Eliza’s eyes.
As everyone predicted Kaiser’s defeat.
Only Do-hyun remained calm.
‘Transcendence?’
Impressive, sure. Honestly intriguing and enviable.
Do-hyun hadn’t experienced it.
But that was it.
Transcendence was just strengthening one trait.
‘I’ve got six.’
He was God Osero’s only player with six traits.
And...
“Guess it’s time to use this.”
Do-hyun smirked, eyeing the Tear of the God glowing unusually in his inventory.