After Regressing, I Gained the Power of the Demonic Dragon - Chapter 31

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 31
The morning after.
A single post on the PlayerNet forum had seized the top spot in an instant.
[Impossible Seat Tracking: Flawless Ascent]
[Current Record: Solo Climbing SSS Grade, 19 Consecutive]
[Public Best Record: Second Seat Mugeuk / 20 Consecutive]
[To Best Record: 1 More]
[Korea/Lv.24] ThreeAlarmsSet: So today’s the day you’re hitting the 20th Floor, right?
[Korea/Lv.42] SojuInRiceSoup: You haven’t taken a single day off until now. You’re going in today too, aren’t you?
[Korea/Lv.31] RecordBoardRefresh: Already feeling that SSS is locked in. You do know the 20th Floor boss is Lv.22, right?
[Korea/Lv.38] BathroomBeforeBossRoom: Even that Tokyo Gold Dragon that received the Mark of the Thousand Seats got caught bare-handed yesterday—why would an Lv.22 Ogre be a problem? lol
[Korea/Lv.55] ClearMoon: Team victory and solo climbing SSS Grade are different beasts. Getting an SSS rating against a boss monster two levels higher isn’t as easy as people think.
[Korea/Lv.33] NewbieGuardian: Still, they’ll probably nail the SSS. What I’m really curious about is whether they can break Mugeuk’s 20th Floor record.
RecordBoardRefresh soon posted Mugeuk’s 20th Floor record in the comments.
[20th Floor Beast King’s Coliseum Public Detailed Record]
[Record Holder: Second Seat Mugeuk]
[Clear Time: 01:21]
[Hit Count: 0]
[Evaluation: SSS Grade]
[Korea/Lv.31] RecordBoardRefresh: 1 minute 21 seconds! Can the Impossible Seat really break this record?
[Korea/Lv.38] BathroomBeforeBossRoom: Hmm. I think they’ll probably match the 20 streak, but I’m not sure if they can shave the time down that much.
[Korea/Lv.42] SojuInRiceSoup: Don’t you remember everyone saying the exact same thing during the 11th Floor? lol The result was a 4-second cut.
[Korea/Lv.27] PotionsAfterWork: But the 11th Floor was different. This time they have to take down an Lv.22 Beast King in under 1 minute 21 seconds.
[Korea/Lv.24] ThreeAlarmsSet: An Authority that straight-up annihilated the Gold Dragon? I’m betting my pinky they clear it in under a minute! lol
Few doubted the twentieth SSS Grade.
All the attention hinged on whether Sang Hyuk would stand level with Mugeuk—or whether he would surpass the clear time on the 20th Floor.
Solo Climbing couldn’t be watched in real-time.
People opened the public records board and the tracking thread side by side, waiting only for the results to post.
Meanwhile, the view count on the post shot up with each refresh.
[Current Post Views: 28,711]
[Current Post Views: 31,204]
At that very moment.
Sang Hyuk had already stepped into the 20th Floor arena.
* * *
20th Floor.
Beast King’s Coliseum.
The floor of the wide circular arena was blanketed in thick, tawny sand.
At its center, a colossal ogre with black horns glared at Sang Hyuk, an iron mace clutched in its grip.
[Black-Horned Ogre King]
[Lv.22]
[Basic Objective]
— Defeat the Beast King.
[Hidden Objective]
— Make the Beast King surrender without killing it.
The Hidden Objective aligned perfectly with the condition for unlocking the Dragon’s Pressure that he’d confirmed the day before.
If he kept the ogre king alive and forced it to kneel, he could claim both his twentieth SSS Grade and the new Authority in one stroke.
The Dragon’s Pressure was still only a candidate.
It wasn’t a power he could draw out and wield simply by willing it into existence.
Yet the sensation of the masterless legion kneeling before him on the 15th Floor still lingered in his chest.
This time too, he would draw that sleeping power from his heart and make the beast before him grasp the stature of the Apocalypse Dragon.
‘Might as well see what happens.’
Dong!
A bell tolled, signaling the test’s beginning.
“Roaaaaarrr!”
The Black-Horned Ogre King bellowed, raising its massive iron mace.
Sang Hyuk stared straight into its crimson eyes while drawing forth the power from deep within his chest.
Thump.
The Apocalypse Dragon’s heart beat powerfully.
Crimson-red magical force erupted outward from his body, engulfing the ogre king.
“Krek?”
The roar cut short.
The arm holding the hammer froze mid-swing above his head.
[The Black-Horned Ogre King senses the caliber of the Apocalypse Dragon.]
[The target resists the incomplete Authority.]
Fear flickered across the Ogre King’s crimson eyes.
But the beast shook its head violently and roared even louder.
“Kraaaaaah!”
The hammer that had stalled plummeted toward Sang Hyuk’s skull.
Whoosh!
The instant the hammer descended, Sang Hyuk drove a step forward into the Ogre King’s embrace.
His right hand seized the wrist gripping the hammer, while his left palm drove against the elbow, deflecting the attack sideways.
Boom!
The hammer crashed down inches from Sang Hyuk’s side.
Sang Hyuk wrenched the captured wrist downward.
As the off-balance Ogre King lurched forward, he drove his shoulder beneath the creature’s armpit.
“Kruk?”
Sang Hyuk straightened his legs and twisted at the hips in one motion.
The massive body lifted over his shoulder and flipped through the air.
Whoosh!
Crash!
The Black-Horned Ogre King slammed into the ground back-first.
The coliseum shuddered, and sand erupted in all directions.
“Cough!”
The Ogre King gasped in pain but did not release the hammer.
It planted its hands and rose, glaring at Sang Hyuk with savage intensity.
‘It works.’
The Ogre King had hesitated for just a moment, ceasing its assault.
Though the Apocalypse Dragon had not yet materialized as a true Authority, its presence had undeniably suppressed the creature’s instincts.
But Sang Hyuk, too, had expended considerable mana.
He had forced out a power he was not yet accustomed to wielding.
Still, the approach was sound.
Break the beast’s will to resist first, then try again.
The Black-Horned Ogre King surged to its feet and swung the hammer in a wide arc.
Whoosh!
Sang Hyuk dropped his torso, evaded the hammer, and drove into the creature’s guard.
As the massive hammer swept past his head, his right palm pressed against its flank.
‘Annihilation.’
Screeeech!
The enormous metal head crumbled to black dust from the point where his palm touched it.
Before the Ogre King could even withdraw the hammer, the entire head had dissolved.
“Kruk?!”
The beast stared down at the shaft remaining in its grip, disbelieving.
It hurled the useless handle away and dropped into a four-legged stance.
Its two horns, now angled forward, pointed directly at Sang Hyuk’s chest.
“Kraaaaaah!”
Boom!
The Black-Horned Ogre King scraped the ground and charged.
Sang Hyuk did not retreat—he thrust both hands forward.
Crash!
Sang Hyuk seized the Ogre King’s two horns with both hands.
Sand sprayed outward beneath his feet.
But Sang Hyuk did not yield an inch.
The Ogre King’s charge came to a complete halt.
“Kruk?”
Its crimson eyes widened in shock.
Even as its thick neck and shoulders bulged with effort, it could not drive Sang Hyuk back.
Sang Hyuk recalled the moment on the 15th Floor when he had frozen an entire legion with nothing but will.
This time, he focused his command on a single target.
‘Bow before me.’
Crunch!
The Apocalypse Dragon’s heart beat once more.
Blood-red mana surged from Sang Hyuk’s body, crushing the Ogre King beneath it.
[The presence of the Apocalypse Dragon bears down upon the Black-Horned Ogre King’s instincts.]
[The target resists the incomplete authority.]
The Ogre King’s body shook violently.
It bared its teeth and held firm, but couldn’t shake off the pressure as swiftly as before.
Crack!
Sang Hyuk stepped forward.
The Ogre King’s feet skidded backward across the sand.
One step.
Another.
As Sang Hyuk pressed down on the horns, the massive head bowed slowly.
Even the right knee, which had held out until now, finally touched the ground.
Boom!
“Raaaagh!”
The Ogre King unleashed a furious roar.
But unlike before, it didn’t swing its fists at Sang Hyuk.
In its red eyes, the fear welling up from deep instinct burned greater than any rage.
Sang Hyuk released the horns and stepped back.
Merely forcing it to the ground couldn’t be called surrender.
The choice now belonged to the Ogre King.
Sang Hyuk spoke tersely.
“Kneel.”
“Krrr…!”
The Ogre King’s fists trembled violently.
It tensed its thighs as if to rise again.
But the moment it saw Sang Hyuk’s hands, its red eyes wavered.
Those hands had dispelled its mace, had halted its charge.
When their eyes met, the bared fangs slowly closed.
A moment passed.
Thud.
The Black-Horned Ogre King finally knelt on its other knee in the sand.
Then, bracing itself on the ground with its massive hands, it lowered its head before Sang Hyuk of its own accord.
[The Black-Horned Ogre King has lost its will to fight.]
[The Beast King surrenders.]
[Basic objective achieved.]
[Beast King subjugation confirmed.]
[Hidden Objective achieved.]
[Beast King made to surrender without being killed.]
Sang Hyuk withdrew the power he had drawn into his chest.
The Black-Horned Ogre King did not lift its head.
Soon the trial results appeared.
[20th Floor Solo Climbing Trial: Beast King’s Coliseum]
[Clear Time: 00:52]
[Times Hit: 0]
[Beast King Status: Alive / Surrendered]
[Clear Rating: SSS Grade]
[20th Floor Public Best Clear Time Updated.]
[Previous Record]
[Seat 2 Mu-geuk: 01:21]
[New Record]
[South Korea / Public Name Hidden: 00:52]
He had beaten Mu-geuk’s record by twenty-nine seconds.
[Solo Climbing SSS Grade: 20 consecutive]
[Special Cumulative Record Flawless Ascent Updated.]
[Public Best Record Reached.]
[Tied for 1st Place with Seat 2 Mu-geuk.]
「Level increased.」
[Lv.20 → Lv.21]
Then came the notification he’d been waiting for.
[You have met the conditions to unlock the candidate Authority .]
[You will consume 3 Authority Factors.]
[Authority Factors held: 0]
[Authority is now unlocked.]
Thump.
The heart of the Apocalypse Dragon beat once more.
This time, there was no need to strain for power.
As Sang Hyuk fixed his gaze on the Black-Horned Ogre King, blood-red mana surged forth and crushed the creature instantly.
The shoulders of the Black-Horned Ogre King, bent in submission, trembled violently.
It pressed both hands flat against the ground and lowered its body further until its black horns touched the sand.
Even in its incomplete state, had stopped and subjugated a Beast King of higher level than himself.
Now that it had become a proper Authority, would prove far more formidable when facing multiple weaker magical beasts.
The notifications did not end there.
[“Flawless Ascent” 20 consecutive bonus rewards are being granted.]
[You have obtained 1 Irregular Battlefield Selection Ticket.]
[You are receiving a Hidden Objective bonus reward.]
[You have obtained 1 Authority Enhancement Ticket Fragment.]
[Current assembly progress: 3/3]
[Assembly conditions met.]
[You have obtained 1 Authority Enhancement Ticket.]
The completed Enhancement Ticket could raise any single Authority below rank 5 by one tier.
Sang Hyuk decided to test the newly acquired in real combat before choosing which Authority to enhance.
Moments later, white light descended onto the Coliseum.
The Black-Horned Ogre King vanished into the light, its head bowed to the very end.
* * *
At that very moment.
PlayerNet’s public leaderboard was updated.
[20th Floor: Beast King’s Coliseum]
[Record Holder: South Korea / Public Name Withheld]
[Clear Time: 00 minutes 52 seconds]
[Times Hit: 0]
[Rating: SSS Grade]
[Solo Climbing SSS 20 consecutive]
[Tied 1st place with Seat 2, Limitless]
Below that, one more unexpected entry appeared.
[Special Clear Record]
[Beast King’s Surrender]
[First Achievement]
For several seconds after the record went up, the comments fell silent.
The first to break the silence was AlarmThreeCustom.
[South Korea/Lv.24] AlarmThreeCustom: 52 seconds!!! Did you see?? I saved my fingers!!!
[South Korea/Lv.31] LeaderboardRefresh: 29 seconds faster than Limitless’s record. 20 consecutive co-1st place confirmed. ㄷㄷㄷㄷ
[South Korea/Lv.38] BathroomBeforeBossRoom: What the heck—52 seconds is insane, but surrender? The Beast King didn’t die?
[South Korea/Lv.27] RecoveryPotionAfterWork: So it’s not killed in 52 seconds, but beaten into surrender instead? That makes even less sense;;;;
[South Korea/Lv.55] ClearMoon: A special clear record has been added. Looks like they found a Hidden Objective.
[South Korea/Lv.42] SojuInRiceBowl: We were bragging about clearing it faster than Limitless, but lol the Impossible Seat actually made the Beast King kneel.
[South Korea/Lv.33] NewbieSentinels: Wow!! Everyone else kills it and moves on, but this person alone gets the Beast King to surrender. That’s the Impossible Seat’s style!!!!
[South Korea/Lv.30] FoolsCalculator: In Fool’s calculations, there was no option for making the Beast King kneel. The calculator broke……
[South Korea/Lv.24] AlarmThreeCustom: 20 consecutive tie, 29-second cut, and first surrender all in one go? Wow, the Impossible Seat really does shock people in a different way every time.
The post title changed immediately.
[Impossible Seat “Flawless Ascent” Tracker]
[Seat 2, Limitless – Record Tie Achieved]
[Next Target: Solo Climbing SSS 21 consecutive / All-Time Record]
Less than a minute had passed since the twentieth SSS went up.
People were already waiting for the twenty-first record while searching for clear information on the next floor.
* * *
At that moment.
Back in the Settlement Space, Sang Hyuk’s eyes fell upon the selection ticket he had just received.
[Irregular Battlefield Selection Tickets held: 1]
[Available choices: 2 locations]
[Would you like to check the Irregular Battlefield list?]
“Yes.”
[Loading available Irregular Battlefields.]

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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