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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Fall of the Rock Fangs
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A shock rivaling a landslide slammed into the peak, sending the madness-crazed trolls scattering in blind panic every which way.
Even with the evil inside them awakened, it seemed their primal instinct of fear still lingered.
Sss...
Kang Seol's expression shifted swiftly from hope to despair.
In the dust-settled battlefield stood the ragged shadow of Karuna and Jamad.
Had the clash between those two awe-inspiring titans truly ended in a draw?
Kang Seol couldn't accept a draw as an outcome.
To him, it was no different from defeat.
'This is bad... Hm?'
But something felt off.
Why were the two just standing there motionless, staring at each other?
He learned the reason when Jamad addressed him.
"Demon... no, Shadow Summoner."
Sss...
Even as Karuna glared at him with fierce eyes, Jamad turned his back.
A hideous gash ran down his chest like a long line, deep enough that he looked on the verge of death at a glance.
He left his final words.
"Cough... Take me. I... I can't end here! There's something I must... do..."
Thud!
At last, the moon cleaved the massive mountain.
Jamad toppled forward, wilting away in the moonlight.
That marked the moment when system messages flooded in like flames.
[The Mountain Sorcerer Jamad harbors resentment toward Snowman.]
[Skin disease afflicts Snowman.]
[All stats decrease by 30% for one week.]
[The Rock Fang Five Brothers are all dead.]
[Snowman is freed from all resentment curses.]
[Mountain Sorcerer Jamad defeated.]
[Rewards enhanced.]
[Rock Fang treasure upgraded to Rock Fang sacred relic.]
[Pointy Rock Mountain's Five Brothers defeated.]
[Adventure can be concluded upon time limit expiry or reward selection.]
These were the expected messages up to this point.
[Achievement 'Feuding Five Brothers' unlocked.]
[Title 'Demon Who Came at Dawn' acquired.]
[Achievement 'Sibling Rivalry' unlocked.]
[Title 'Sower of Discord' acquired.]
[Achievement 'I Can Do It Alone' unlocked.]
[Title 'Solitary' acquired.]
Messages poured in relentlessly.
Those spectating erupted in cheers.
'Future Aspirations' sponsored 200 Madness!
[Mom, I wanna be a snowman when I grow up! Mom, I wanna be a snowman when I grow up! Mom, I wanna be a snowman when I grow up!]
- Take me in, strongest iron lump! - Late Jamad -
- Fuck! Who dares make this unbreakable man O Myung-tae cry like this... Snowman... what the hell are you!!!
- Snowman punch! Snowman punch! He's a god!
'Gukbap While Watching Play, Too Shocked' sponsored 300 Madness!
[Gukbap's just too damn tasty.]
- What's the gukbap sponsorship deal! Spill it!
- This content includes paid promotions.
- Punish evil, praise good! Great watch!
'Current Public Sentiment' sponsored 200 Madness!
[Roiling... bubbling... pounding...]
- Public sentiment's hitting hard with the colors.
- Fr, everyone's flooding this chat lmao
- This guy's top rewards? Right?
'Snowman Flipped the Whole Mountain!' sponsored 100 Madness!
[(╮°-°)╮┳┳ Acho~~~~!! (╯°□°)╯ ┻┻]
- Ugh... my heart hurts. A man's passion beats in there!
- Table flip emote wtf lol so cute lol
- Three titles popping out tho wtf
Three titles from one adventure.
Usually, snagging even one title from an adventure was considered a win, but Kang Seol had far surpassed that.
'So, what are the effects?'
[Title: Demon Who Came at Dawn]
Related Achievement: Feuding Five Brothers (Adventure: Friendly 5 Brothers)
Special Ability: All stats +3% from midnight to sunrise.
[Title: Sower of Discord]
Related Achievement: Sibling Rivalry (Adventure: Friendly 5 Brothers)
Special Ability: Charm slightly increased.
[Title: Solitary]
Related Achievement: I Can Do It Alone (Adventure: Friendly 5 Brothers)
Special Ability: All stats +3% if no friendly allies within 100m.
Titles rarely had overwhelming effects, but they stacked into serious power over the long haul.
Kang Seol had made a smooth start.
Now that he'd even grabbed titles, he figured no more messages until he claimed rewards.
But that was wishful thinking. Change hadn't come only to him.
Whoooosh...
The intense light faded from Karuna as Moon Stage ended.
His utterly drained body now emanated a subtle warmth.
[Masterful Duel! Karuna awakens new ability.]
[Karuna awakens passive ability: Heroic Spirit.]
[Karuna achieves 'Mountain Cleave' achievement.]
[Karuna acquires title 'The One Who Sliced the Mountain.']
[Karuna gains experience.]
[Karuna's stats are unsealed.]
[Summon now exerts 40% of original power.]
- Insane, now the summon's solo-carrying?
- Shadow Summoner trait, huh. What a weird-ass system.
- 20% was already busted, 40% is One Punch Man shit?
- Why's the summon wearing titles ffs lol
- Info) Masterful Duel system's finicky, rarely triggers.
- Fact) But it triggered now.
Kang Seol quickly checked Karuna's new abilities.
First up: Heroic Spirit.
Passive effect: If enemy's stats exceed yours by 20%+, your stats rise 10%. (Applies to one target at a time.)
'An ability that only triggers against relatively stronger foes.'
Solid ability.
Especially for a monster like Karuna with sealed stats—this kind of percentage boost shone bright.
Next, the title.
[Title: The One Who Sliced the Mountain]
Related Achievement: Mountain Cleave (Adventure: Friendly 5 Brothers)
Special Ability: 15% more EXP from stronger enemies.
- Messing with EXP? Overkill much?
- But it's boss EXP anyway lol
- Right, at this point how many bosses out-stat Karuna;
- Scary, Snowman!
Kang Seol equipped the title on Karuna and caught his breath.
"Hoo..."
Only two things left to claim from this adventure.
One was the top-grade reward he'd busted ass for, naturally.
The other hinged on what he did next.
Namely, Shadow Summon.
Faced with Jamad's corpse, Kang Seol hesitated briefly. Because of the dying troll's words.
- Cough... Take me. I... I can't end here! There's something I must... do...
Monsters usually despised becoming shadow summons.
More than taste, it yanked them from the rest they'd call death, forcing service to their killer.
Yet Jamad had begged to be taken.
'What for?'
Some lingering regret in life?
Kang Seol pegged Jamad as an Irregular.
Game flow got twisted by these unpredictable Irregulars.
That was his current dilemma too.
Was claiming this Irregular a gain or a loss?
'No choice. I'm taking Jamad.'
Skip him, and this adventure's payoff would be half-baked.
Kang Seol turned his palm downward, channeling shadow energy.
An emotionless voice escaped his lips.
"Serve."
Sss...
Crackle!
Jamad's muscles twitched.
Just like Karuna reborn with new life before, Jamad too was reborn as shadow.
Zzzt—
Jamad snapped his eyes open and rose.
His entire body shrouded in pitch-black shadow.
The hulking frame lurched upright, now glaring down at Kang Seol with red eyes.
"Hooo..."
Breath steamed from Jamad's mouth.
[Shadow Summon: Tyrant Jamad successful.]
[Inheritance attempt.]
[Jamad's shadow replicates Rock Armor.]
[Shadow Summon grade too low.]
[High Wisdom assists ability.]
[Rock Armor fully inherited.]
[Jamad's shadow replicates Earthquake Stance.]
[Shadow Summon grade too low.]
[High Wisdom assists ability.]
[Earthquake Stance fully inherited.]
[Summon exerts 32% of original power.]
Inheritance complete successfully, yet Jamad showed no reaction.
Just stared piercingly at Kang Seol.
'Something wrong?'
Then Jamad spoke first.
"Demon, I shall join you."
Those words eased the stuck anxiety in Kang Seol's chest.
But Jamad wasn't done.
"One condition. I have unfinished business."
"Condition?"
Jamad's demand was surprisingly simple.
He gathered his brothers' corpses, Makgata included.
The youngest Makgata was charred to death, yet Jamad dug up even his remains somehow.
Whoooosh—!
[Jamad uses Sorcery Absorption to claim Makgata's sorcery.]
[Summon now exerts 34% of original power.]
...
...
Jamad siphoned power from his brothers' bodies. No ordinary power, clearly.
Kang Seol confirmed his exceptional nature.
[Tyrant Jamad]
Titles: None
Grade: Hero
Race: Shadow
Level: 3
HP: 300/300
MP: 200/200
Allocated Stats: 0
Strength 26 Agility 19 Vitality 30
Intelligence 18 Wisdom 20 Mentality 16
Talents: Troll Speech, Sorcery Absorption
'Sorcery Absorption, huh. Fitting for an Irregular.'
A special talent players couldn't pick.
Description said it stole dead sorcerers' power.
- Total cheat!
- But sorcerers are rare...
- Delete the dog then!
- Broken!
He gave a bitter smile at Cron's sprawled corpse last.
"Even in death, together we go."
Whoooosh—!
[Jamad uses Sorcery Absorption to claim Cron's sorcery.]
[Summon now exerts 40% of original power.]
"The mountain... will embrace you all."
Jamad closed his eyes briefly, then turned to Kang Seol.
* * *
"Flee! Jamad's dead! All the other brothers too! Rock Fangs are done!"
"It's over! Over, I say!"
"Death still lingers on the peak!"
Rumble rumble rumble!
The Rock Fangs, snapped from madness, confirmed their atrocities and leaders' deaths, then abandoned the village and fled.
[Pointy Rock Mountain liberated from Rock Fangs.]
[Secret Labyrinth 'Frozen Ruins' unlocked.]
[Secret Labyrinth 'Moving Sky' unlocked.]
'Changing world.'
Another Eternal World feature.
The world shifted with player achievements.
Scale impossible to guess—that's why Kang Seol played 17 years without boredom. This game never got old.
When Kang Seol could no longer spot them, messages piled up.
[Snowman sparks massive change through great feats.]
[Great and small changes sweep Eternal World, Pandea.]
[Rock Fang tribe's defeat by Snowman at Pointy Rock Mountain spreads across Pandea.]
[Snowman's name echoes from Pandea's corners.]
[Golden Caravan Merchants praise Snowman's feats.]
[Free City Kongori freed from Rock Fang threat.]
[Kongori citizens remember Snowman's name.]
[Earth Dragon Tankreed unaware of Rock Fangs' demise.]
[Pandea's power balance shifts.]
[All players may now select 'Pointy Rock Mountain Trade Route Construction' adventure from bases.]
[All players may now select 'Pointy Rock Mountain Remnants Purge' adventure from bases.]
[Fame rises, unlocking various secret adventures. Discover them yourself.]
[Adventurer score gained.]
Kang Seol had hit every goal.
Beyond solo-clearing—top rewards too.
"Haa..."
Dawn had broken; noon neared.
For him, a morning craving the smokes he'd quit.
"Last one."
- Still more?
- Boss is nuts!
- No matter how much we milk, more comes ㅡㅡ
Kang Seol manipulated the hovering interface, summoning a bone-adorned chest before him.
Clunk.
Fwoooosh!
He flung it open without hesitation. Dazzling light illuminated the contents.
[Top reward: Rock Fang sacred relic confirmed.]
[Level up.]
[Level up.]
[Ability points acquired.]
[Sacred Relic: Mountain Fist acquired.]
[Rock Robe acquired.]
[Vitality Root acquired.]
[892 gold coins acquired.]
[277 silver coins acquired.]
[20 Medium Red Potions acquired.]
[8 Medium Blue Potions acquired.]
...
"Mountain Fist!"
- Mountain Fist!
- Mountain Fist??
- It dropped?
- No way that dropped?
[Sacred Relic: Mountain Fist]
Grade: Sacred Relic
Level Fit: None
Attack: 43
Durability: 50/50
Weight: 5.0kg x 2
Rock Fang sacred relic bestowed by Tankreed. Infused with earth's energy, evolved one step. Sturdy frame allows ongoing evolution.
Base Stats: All stats +3, Core stat +5
Special: MP regen +5/sec, Sorcery range/destruction +50%. Attribute Evolution (Stage 1: Mountain)
- Total cheat!
- Insane broken item! Unfair!
- If you got it?
- Godgame. Broke the ceiling lol
- Stalin: Wanna share that?
Kang Seol equipped Mountain Fist on Jamad.
Clunk.
[Tyrant Jamad equipped with Mountain Fist.]
Jamad swung his hands a few times, showing no particular reaction.
[Rock Robe]
Grade: Rare
Level Fit: 3 - 10
Defense: 30
Durability: 45/45
Weight: 0.2kg
Robe of firmness and abundance.
Base Stats: Wisdom +5, Vitality +1, Mentality +2
Special: Vitality +10%, clothes never soil.
'Not bad.'
Kang Seol shed his shabby outerwear for the fine Rock Robe.
Full Moon Staff and Rock Robe on—he looked like a new man.
- Why so master-like?
- Dial it back, Snowman!
[Vitality Root]
Grade: Unique
Level Fit: 1 - 5
Weight: 0.1kg
Special: Consumable in various ways. Effects unknown.
- Ugh, crossing every line;
- Moon Seed and now this...
Kang Seol tucked the root away.
Of course, he'd cook it up for max effect.
'Rewards rolled out nicely.'
Adventure over, his body wrapped in light and vanished somewhere.
* * *
Ziiing—
Kang Seol transferred to a new place.
It teemed with people.
They didn't look like locals.
Freshly arrived, they warily scanned around, shouting.
"Ar-Are you all Korean?"
"Where the hell is this?"
"Hye-in! Hye-in! Mom's here! Where are you?"
A marketplace bustling like any other.
But a single line of messages stole their attention.
[Next: Adventure 2. Friendly 5 Brothers score rankings.]