After Regressing, I Gained the Power of the Demonic Dragon - Chapter 33
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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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Chapter 33
Screeeee!
The two heads of the Twin-Headed Venomous Horned Beast streaked in from left and right.
One lunged for Sang Hyuk’s throat; the other aimed for the horn concealed behind his back.
Sang Hyuk twisted his body, drawing his left shoulder back.
The head targeting the horn bit empty air.
He swept away the other head attacking from the opposite side with his right foot.
Crack!
Its jaws snapped shut forcefully, the head wrenching to the side.
The head that had bitten at nothing immediately shifted direction, striking down at Sang Hyuk’s throat from above.
Sang Hyuk drove his right hand into its mouth.
His fingers grazed the pointed fangs protruding inside.
‘Destruction Form.’
Screee!
Two fangs crumbled into black sand from the root, scattering away.
The venom pooling in its mouth lost its force and dispersed.
Sang Hyuk withdrew his right hand and pinned the other head’s neck underfoot.
Boom!
The swept head slammed into the ground.
The fang-stripped head also shrieked and jerked backward.
In the next instant.
Roooar!
The Red-Eyed Saber-Toothed Tiger burst over the Venomous Horned Beast’s body.
Its extended front legs targeted Sang Hyuk’s chest.
Sang Hyuk pulled his foot from the Venomous Horned Beast’s neck and caught the incoming claws.
Snag!
Sharp talons stopped inches from his chest.
Sang Hyuk wrenched the caught forelimb to the side, twisting at the waist.
Unable to overcome its momentum, the Saber-Toothed Tiger flipped sideways past him.
Whoosh!
The massive body cartwheeled through the air.
Crash!
Dust erupted skyward.
The Saber-Toothed Tiger’s chest heaved violently as it struck the ground.
Still alive.
At that moment.
Thud-thud-thud!
The Iron-Maned Grizzly bore down on him, head lowered, closing the distance in an instant.
Its black mane stood rigid as steel plating.
Sang Hyuk did not dodge.
Thump.
The Apocalypse Demon Dragon’s heart beat.
Crimson demonic power surged through both legs and his right arm.
Sang Hyuk caught the Grizzly’s forehead with his right hand.
Crash!
The earth beneath Sang Hyuk’s feet caved inward.
Soil exploded outward in all directions.
Sang Hyuk’s body did not move.
“Grrrrr?”
The Iron-Maned Grizzly’s eyes widened.
As it pressed harder with its forelimbs, crimson demonic power erupted from between the iron plates covering its back.
Crack-crack-crack!
The ground beneath Sang Hyuk’s feet fractured anew.
That was all the resistance it had in it.
Sang Hyuk pressed down on the Grizzly’s forehead and advanced one step forward.
Thump.
The Grizzly braced with its forelimbs but to no avail.
Deep claw marks scored the earth where its massive frame was shoved back.
Sang Hyuk poured more force into his right arm.
Boom!
The armored maned bear’s right foreleg buckled, and its massive body tilted to one side.
“Roooaaaagh!”
The maned bear tried to lift its head, but Sang Hyuk’s right arm didn’t yield an inch.
Behind it, the Red-Eyed Saber Tiger stumbled to its feet, and the Two-Headed Scorpion Wasp raised both its heads again.
Despite their renewed aggression, the magical energy shrouding all three beasts flickered and wavered before extinguishing entirely.
They’d spent their remaining power just to stand, but after being broken once by Sang Hyuk, they couldn’t hold out much longer.
Thud.
The Apocalypse Demon Dragon’s heart beat once more.
Sang Hyuk deployed the Demon Dragon’s Pressure with even greater force.
The 114 creatures lying prone pressed themselves lower still.
The Red-Eyed Saber Tiger’s forelegs bent gradually toward the earth.
Both heads of the Two-Headed Scorpion Wasp descended toward the ground.
Sang Hyuk kept his hand pressed to the armored maned bear’s forehead and spoke.
“Bow.”
Crunch.
The maned bear’s remaining foreleg gave way, striking the earth.
Its head dropped, and the black mane scraped across the dirt.
The Red-Eyed Saber Tiger held firm, raising its claws.
Screech.
Its claws gouged long furrows across the ground, but it couldn’t rise again.
At last, the saber tiger too pressed its belly to the earth and lowered its head.
The Two-Headed Scorpion Wasp remained.
It resisted, alternating the rise and fall of its two heads, but only briefly.
Thump.
Both of its heads struck the ground simultaneously.
[Three resisting Magical Beasts have lost their will to fight.]
[Armored Maned Bear has submitted.]
[Red-Eyed Saber Tiger has submitted.]
[Two-Headed Scorpion Wasp has submitted.]
[Magical Beasts Subdued by Demon Dragon’s Pressure: 117/117]
[Current Magical Beast Deaths: 0]
The Valley fell silent.
Sang Hyuk withdrew his hand from the armored maned bear’s forehead.
The maned bear could not lift its head.
Sang Hyuk walked toward the Altar of Succession.
The fang wolf that had blocked his path dragged itself aside, and the armored wild boar and scarlet lizard lowered their bodies to clear the way.
As Sang Hyuk advanced, the Magical Beasts parted left and right.
A path opened through the center of the Valley.
Sang Hyuk, the horn in his grasp, walked among 117 bowing Magical Beasts.
Countless eyes tracked his movement, yet none of them rose from their posture of submission.
The Altar on the far side of the Valley drew near.
Upon its surface was carved a horn-shaped groove.
Sang Hyuk lowered the horn into place.
Click.
The Sealed Demon King’s Horn fit into the Altar’s socket.
Bzzzzzzzwoooom!
Red light erupted from within the horn.
The light spread across the Altar, then illuminated the entire Valley.
The prone Magical Beasts did not raise their heads until the very end.
「Primary objective achieved.」
「Sealed Demon King’s Horn transport completed.」
「Hidden objective achieved.」
「All 117 Magical Beasts in the Valley have survived.」
[Demon King’s Horn Damage: 0%]
[Player Damage Taken: 0]
[Magical Beast Deaths in Valley: 0]
[Clear Time: 02:06]
「Floor 21 Trial completed.」
[Clear Rank: SSS]
New notifications began to arrive.
「You have achieved the first SSS rating on the 21st floor.」
「A new special conquest record has been registered.」
[Special Conquest Record: ]
[All 117 magical beasts survived]
[All 117 magical beasts subjugated]
[First achievement]
「The achievement of the first SSS rating and the special conquest record on the 21st floor has been reflected in your nation’s record.」
[South Korea Achievement Points +3,000]
A small spark fell away from the horn on the altar.
The spark hardened before Sang Hyuk’s eyes into a black fragment no larger than a thumbnail.
「A hidden objective reward is being granted.」
[You have obtained .]
[Category: Magical Beast Growth Material]
[Effect: Aids the recovery and growth of magical beasts in their developmental stage.]
‘A magical beast growth material, then.’
For summoners who called forth magical beasts, it appeared to be an extraordinarily precious resource, but Sang Hyuk had no immediate use for it.
Sang Hyuk placed the fragment into his inventory.
[Hidden Objective Cumulative Achievement: 6 times]
「A hidden objective assembly reward is being granted.」
[You have obtained 1 .]
[Current assembly progress: 3/3]
Burst!
The three fragments he’d stored in his inventory blazed with light simultaneously.
The fragments merged into a single ticket the size of his palm.
「Assembly conditions have been met.」
「 has been completed.」
[]
[Upon use, select one equipment category and obtain one random piece of equipment from that category.]
‘The equipment lottery ticket is finally complete.’
The fragments had assembled faster than he’d expected.
Still, Sang Hyuk didn’t use the ticket immediately.
It was better to check first what equipment remained in Oego.
Then he could select a category that wouldn’t duplicate what he’d already obtained there.
‘I’ll use it after I visit Oego.’
Sang Hyuk placed the ticket into his inventory.
「Your level has increased.」
[Lv.21 → Lv.22]
As his level rose, the mana he’d expended facing the three leaders recovered swiftly.
Thump.
The Apocalypse Dragon’s heart beat once more.
The magical beasts cowering on the ground trembled, bowing their heads even deeper.
Then, an alert he’d been waiting for appeared.
「The special cumulative record has been updated.」
[Personal Ascent SSS Rating: 21 consecutive]
[Previous public record]
[Authority Seat 2 : 20 consecutive]
[New public record]
[South Korea / Public name withheld: 21 consecutive]
「You have set a new all-time record.」
「You have risen to the sole first place in the all-time rankings.」
An unfamiliar window opened above the existing alerts.
「A reward for setting an all-time record is being granted.」
[New Record Privilege: ]
[Effect]
– Each time you renew the all-time record of with a personal ascent SSS rating, one footprint accumulates.
– Once you collect 10 footprints, an that no one has ever entered will open.
[Warning]
– If you receive any rating below SSS even once during personal ascent, all accumulated will vanish.
– You will thereafter permanently lose eligibility to obtain .
[Current Untrodden Footprints: 1/10]
Nine more floors ahead.
Clear all of floors 22 through 30 with SSS ratings, and an Unexplored Battlefield that no one has ever set foot upon will open.
‘Interesting.’
From here on, it was a path no one had ever walked.
Sang Hyuk’s gaze lingered on the number 1/10.
‘Let’s finish them all with SSS ratings.’
What would be waiting at the end of it all.
He was already beginning to feel curious.
* * *
The top line of the publicly displayed records for Floor 21 had changed.
[Clear Rating: SSS]
[117 Magical Beasts Defeated: 0 Deaths]
[All 117 Magical Beasts Subdued]
[Individual Ascent SSS: 21 Consecutive]
[Flawless Ascent: Sole 1st Place All-Time]
[South Korea / Public Name: Private]
The moment that record appeared, the comments that had been steadily climbing on PlayerNet froze for a moment.
People who had been keeping the record board open and waiting alternated their gaze between the numbers 21 and 117.
[South Korea/Lv.31] RecordRefresh: There it is. 21 consecutive SSS.
[South Korea/Lv.31] RecordRefresh: Wait, hold on. Zero deaths AND all of them subdued?
[South Korea/Lv.42] SojuInRice: Wow… not only did they not kill a single one, they got them all to surrender. The Impossible One’s footwork really is on another level.
[South Korea/Lv.30] BumbuTheCalculator: Gasp… I never calculated that all of them would surrender. My calculator has failed again. Time to throw it away…!
Starting with those few lines, comments poured out in torrents.
The voting window that had opened before the attempt on Floor 21 now displayed its final results.
[Can the Impossible One achieve SSS on Floor 21?]
[Yes: 49.6% – Correct]
[No: 50.4% – Failed]
[South Korea/Lv.38] BathroomBeforeBoss: Where did that 50.4 percent go? The Mugeuk Record Preservation Society, come out. I’ve got screenshots.
[South Korea/Lv.33] NewbieGuardians: Didn’t you say you’d organize it directly if 21 consecutive came up?
The Mugeuk Record Preservation Society did not respond for some time.
Shortly after, a new post appeared at the top of PlayerNet.
[Preservation of the Impossible One’s Flawless Ascent Record]
[Current Record: Individual Ascent SSS 21 Consecutive]
[Previous Public Best: Mugeuk, Authority Seat 2, 20 Consecutive]
[All-Time Ranking: Sole 1st Place]
[Next Target: 22 Consecutive]
[Author: Mugeuk Record Preservation Society]
[South Korea/Lv.47] MugeukRecordPreservation: Posted the new record. Done.
[South Korea/Lv.47] MugeukRecordPreservation: I promised, so I’ll organize the Impossible One’s records from now on.
[South Korea/Lv.47] MugeukRecordPreservation: Honestly, it stings a bit, but even Mugeuk never made all 117 beasts surrender. This record—the Impossible One is on top.
The very person who had been wielding Mugeuk’s record to declare Sang Hyuk’s failure had now personally created a new record board.
[South Korea/Lv.52] MugeukVideoOnly: I said I’d never surpass it. But they really did break Mugeuk’s record.
[South Korea/Lv.52] MugeukVideoOnly: Now we can’t deny that the Impossible One is above Mugeuk when it comes to tower climbing.
[South Korea/Lv.31] RecordRefresh: So the whole argument about catching up to Mugeuk ends today. Next is 22 consecutive?
Even those who had scorned placing Sang Hyuk and Mugeuk on equal footing now acknowledged that he had surpassed Mugeuk’s record.
South Korea’s national status was updated immediately.
[South Korea Achievement Points +3,000]
[South Korea This Quarter Expected Deficit Points: 0]
[Stability Requirement Surplus Contribution: +4,000]
[South Korea/Lv.42] SojuInRice: Wow, I never thought I’d see the day our country would fill the deficit and have points left over.
[South Korea/Lv.33] NewbieGuardians: The Impossible One alone filled the shortage and accumulated 4,000 more points? Is this even possible?
[South Korea/Lv.37] ClimbingTowerFromTomorrow: Last quarter we were counting how many Breaches would open. Wow, a day like this really does come.
[South Korea/Lv.33] ImpossibleOneBeliever: Praise be to the Impossible One. Thank you so much for saving South Korea.
[South Korea/Lv.55] CyanMoon: I don’t know your face or your name, but thank you so much. I hope that this quarter at least, no one dies because of the Breaches.
[South Korea/Lv.51] GangnamUndefeated: The Association must find the Impossible One first and protect them. That person is single-handedly saving the country right now.
The chat window was instantly covered with posts calling out the Impossible One.
Every quarter, Korea had borne the Breaches and casualties equal to its shortage of Achievement Points.
For the first time, that nation had met the stability requirement and had points to spare.
To the people of South Korea, the Impossible One was no longer an unknown newcomer.
They were the savior who would hold back this quarter’s Breaches.
* * *
The Sixteenth Authority Seat: the Jinryong Society.
Amane Ren stared at a single line on the public record board for a long time.
[Special Clear Record: ]
[Magical Beasts Slain: 0/117]
[All 117 Magical Beasts Subdued]
An undisclosed player from South Korea who had dealt the Jinryong Society its first defeat.
This time, he had subdued every magical beast on the 21st Floor without killing a single one.
Amane immediately activated a personal challenge token.
To return to the 21st Floor, which she had cleared long ago.
[Personal 21st Floor Repeat Clear Beginning.]
[Repeat clears grant no experience or National Achievement Points.]
The moment her vision shifted, the magical beasts filling the valley all lifted their heads in unison.
One hundred and seventeen in total, including three alphas.
Before Amane unleashed the power of the Jinryong,
she first released a portion of the magical force accumulated within her body.
The mana of a Heavenly Rank at Level 84 washed over the valley.
Boom!
The magical beasts slammed into the ground.
Unable to straighten their legs, they clawed frantically at the earth.
Even so, their fangs remained bared as they growled low and defiant.
“Hmph. Not one of them will bow their head, then.”
Amane’s eyes narrowed.
Crushed beneath her mana, the beasts couldn’t even rise.
Yet hostility lingered in their eyes, undiminished.
When she withdrew her power, the magical beasts staggered to their feet once more.
The twin-headed scorpion at the front bared its fangs, fixing both heads upon Amane with malice.
Seeing this, Amane opened the authority of the Jinryong.
Roooaaarrrrr!!!
The dominion of draconic blood, rooted in the Authority Seat, spread through the valley.
The magical beasts, which had bared their fangs, trembled and gradually shed their hostility.
Soon, all of them lowered their heads of their own accord.
Perfect submission.
Amane lifted her chin slightly.
“There. That is the proper stance of a beast before its master.”
The reason Amane could produce such a result was clear.
She possessed the Sixteenth Authority Seat and the power of the Jinryong.
But the Impossible Rank was only Level 21.
Naturally, he possessed no such Heavenly Rank ability, yet he had subdued not only beasts of his own level, but even the Level 23 alphas.
That meant the Impossible Rank must possess a certain ‘stature’ that compelled beasts to bow instinctively.
Whether that stature stemmed from his trait, bloodline, or some other force remained unknown.
But one thing troubled her.
When the black mask touched the symbol of the Tokyo Golden Dragon, the power of the Jinryong clearly responded to him.
“A draconic force, perhaps.”
She could not yet be certain.
But there were far too many coincidences to dismiss as chance.
“Interesting. For a mere Iron to catch my eye. He shows promise.”
Amane gazed down at the 117 magical beasts with their heads bowed, a faint smile playing at her lips.
“Impossible Rank. What power do you truly harbor?”
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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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