Report
------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
------------------
Chapter 17
Flames erupted from Baekya's swung sword like a wave.
Whoosh!
The four executives were flung in all directions like bowling pins hit by a bowling ball, rolling across the floor.
"Aaaaagh!"
It wasn't just a light tumble; they skidded for dozens of meters, their faces and backs scraping against the floor, before finally coming to a stop.
General Manager Hwang, clutching his severed left arm with his right, looked up at Ilha.
'We're screwed.'
'It's a Re-awakening. It has to be a Re-awakening.'
'Why did it have to happen at our company!'
In web novels and other modern content, it was a common cliché for an oppressed F-Rank to Re-awaken and take revenge.
General Manager Hwang had also imagined countless times reawakening as an A-Rank or S-Rank after suddenly meeting a Constellation.
Instead of this plain, white, ring-shaped halo, he would have a geometric halo with vibrant colors and diverse shapes.
And a life as a Ranker, heading towards the top of the Tower, exuding an air that seemed otherworldly.
Someone who looked like the protagonist of that story was standing right in front of him.
As an enemy.
'We messed with the wrong person.'
He now understood how the President and Million Loans had met their downfall.
Whether the Re-awakening or the scam came first, they had ended up provoking a Re-awakened.
He lamented their misfortune.
General Manager Hwang slammed his head onto the floor and prostrated himself.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't recognize you!"
The other executives also grasped the situation.
"..."
Those who lived by the sword understood each other once they crossed swords.
Whether they could handle it or not.
In an era where survival depended on quick wit, they were quick to adapt.
Two of the four executives immediately followed General Manager Hwang's lead and prostrated themselves on the floor.
"We're sorry!"
"Please spare our lives!"
The remaining two turned and ran towards the Gate's entrance.
"Shit!"
"Where did this monster come from?!"
The Awakened ran for their lives, their speed matching the wind.
Leap. Dash!
Their movements, jumping between stone pillars and sprinting across the rocky terrain as if it were flat ground, were reminiscent of mountain goats in a documentary.
But this plateau was home to Golems thousands of times more dangerous than the snow leopards of the Himalayas.
Rumble!
The rock that one of the executives had kicked off vibrated.
Crack. Shatter!
It was a massive rock, the size of a four-story apartment building.
Stone fragments rained down.
The crystalline joints emitted a pale, ominous light.
A Golem with glowing blue eyes roared.
"-----!"
Aitel’s warning alarm blared at the appearance of a powerful enemy.
【Warning! Warning! Warning!】
【Aringen's Rock Giant (B)】
The fleeing executives froze in place, like frogs meeting a snake's gaze.
All they could manage was to roll their eyes with all their might.
【Status Effect: Intimidation】
【Overwhelmed by the significant difference in power level.】
【All stats decreased by 50%.】
Thump!
The Golem moved its foot, shaking the ground.
The two executives' faces paled, and their groins dampened.
'No, no, no!'
They were operating this place as a mining Gate because the Golems were non-aggressive mobs, but if a fight were to break out, it was an enemy they could never defeat.
From B-Rank onwards, they were classified as 'high-ranking.'
They were on a level that couldn't be handled with the firearms of the old era.
The wall between B-Rank and C-Rank was several times higher than that between D-Rank and C-Rank.
The Golem approached the two.
Thump!
The two executives squeezed their eyes shut.
The sky within the Gate was always cloudy and gloomy, but the ground, sparkling with crystals and Mana Stone fragments, shone like the night sky.
In this world where heaven and earth seemed reversed, the giant, the earth itself, took a step.
Crunch.
One of the executives turned into a puddle of blood.
The second executive was about to meet the same fate.
General Manager Hwang couldn't bear to watch and turned his head away.
Step.
And at that moment, Ilha walked towards the Golem without hesitation.
'What?'
Overwhelmed by the Golem's presence, General Manager Hwang watched Ilha's back, cold sweat dripping from his entire body.
'How can he move? No, how can he even think of fighting? Is he immune to Intimidation?'
Ilha shot a Flame Arrow towards the top of the Golem's head.
Whoosh!
And then, using the skill popularized by Baekya, 'Descent from the Crimson Flames,' he teleported onto the Golem's head.
Whoosh!
Emerging from the flames, Ilha plunged downwards towards the Golem's neck, thrusting his sword.
Clang!
But Ilha's longsword bounced off the Golem's neck, sparking.
Only a slight scratch remained on the carapace of rock and crystal.
'Even with Reawakening, he still can't win.'
General Manager Hwang squeezed his eyes shut.
He didn't want to see the gruesome scene that would follow.
Living as an Awakened often meant not dying peacefully.
He, too, had unconsciously accepted that reality.
He heard the sounds of sword swings, metal clashes, and the Golem's footsteps.
How many minutes had passed?
Rumble!
A deafening roar echoed.
At the same time, the oppressive pressure that had been weighing down on him disappeared.
【Status Effect 'Intimidation' has been lifted.】
The Aitel System notification appeared in the corner of his vision.
General Manager Hwang bolted upright and looked towards the Golem.
"...Did he win?"
His voice trembled slightly.
He and the three other surviving executives all had dazed expressions on their faces.
"Did you think I couldn't win?"
Ilha stood firmly on the ground, which shimmered like a sea of stars under the cloudy sky.
The white halo, the same as theirs yet completely different, cast a deep shadow on his handsome face.
In front of him, the Golem's massive body lay crumbled like a ruined fortress.
"Let's go. I've said my goodbyes."
Ilha gestured towards them with a subtle tilt of his chin.
The inside of the Gate was dimly lit.
But General Manager Hwang thought that Ilha seemed to be standing under the sun.
* * *
【Your Constellation 'Sunny' successfully blocks the status effect 'Intimidation.'】
'Thank you.'
Baekya watched the Golem rise and thought.
'It's definitely harder to find in a cleared Gate when it's a non-aggressive mob. I missed it even though I passed through this area before.'
He was grateful that it had appeared on its own.
'Let's finish it quickly. Hardening skill? Artifact? What will it drop?'
Crunch.
One of the executives turned into a pool of blood.
He felt no human compassion.
Judging by their behavior, this mining company itself seemed to be half a group of scammers, the type who would think it's a good riddance whenever someone dies.
Baekya had always believed that fraud was the worst of all crimes.
But at the same time, Baekya was also the Sun of Humanity.
What did he feel when he saw monsters killing people?
To put it crudely, it pissed him off.
"Constellation, I'll need your help."
【"Go ahead. Burn to your heart's content."】
【Your Constellation 'Sunny' will bear 25% of your mana consumption.】
The higher the Awakened's Ascension Level, the more direct help their Constellation could provide.
Considering that other Constellations struggled to provide even 10% support to their 7th Stage contractors, this was more than enough assistance.
Knowing this well, Baekya smiled brightly and fired a Flame Arrow.
Whoosh!
The moment the arrow passed over the Golem's head—
【Descent from the Crimson Flames】
Whoosh!
Baekya's body disappeared from the ground and reappeared atop the Golem's head, over a hundred meters away.
It was a height of over 20 meters, but there was no fear in Baekya's eyes.
He gripped the Champion's Sword in a reverse grip and thrust it downwards with all his might.
He aimed for the gap between the neck and shoulder.
Clang!
But the Champion's Sword bounced off, sending sparks flying.
A dent almost a finger deep was left, but the Golem was a mass of rock.
'Just a few more times!'
Baekya used 'Radiant Sword' and struck various parts of the Rock Golem.
His movements were surprisingly nimble and graceful for someone so muscular and tall.
Thump!
He dodged the Golem's stomps and aimed for its knee joints.
He stepped on the Golem's forearm and leaped up, targeting the gap between its neck and chest.
He evaded the 'Crystal Breath' that spewed noxious gas and aimed for its jaw joint.
Slash! Swish! Slice! Slice!
The Champion's Sword rained down like a shower.
But only minor cuts and scratches appeared on the Golem's body; no fatal wounds were inflicted.
【Aringen's Rock Giant (B) is enraged!】
It seemed he had only fueled its anger, provoking the Golem's fierce attacks.
【Ground Leveling】
Rumble!
The Golem stomped its feet violently.
Shockwaves erupted in a spiral from its feet, which were buried almost 2 meters into the ground.
Crack! Boom!
The earth's surface rose, forming countless spikes.
The ground within a 100-meter radius rose sharply, like shattered glass.
Even for Baekya, it was an unavoidable attack on the ground.
'Then I'll just go into the air.'
Whoosh!
Once again, he used the combination of Flame Arrow and Descent from the Crimson Flames to escape into the air.
300 meters above the ground.
A height where even the massive crystal Golem appeared small.
Whoosh!
The initiated fall gradually gained speed.
His short hair fluttered behind his forehead.
'It seems I'll have to use a close-combat skill.'
【"Isn't that too much?"】
【"Your body won't be able to handle the recoil."】
'But I have this, don't I?'
Baekya smirked, looking at the 'Hardening' ring gleaming on his middle finger, his left hand outstretched.
It seemed like it would be a one-time use, but if he could take down a B-Rank Golem with a single 'Common' grade artifact, it was a worthwhile trade.
【"Then it might be worth a try."】
【Your Constellation 'Sunny' smiles with anticipation.】
The Rock Golem watched Baekya falling from the sky and clenched its fist.
Crack!
Layers of white shockwaves enveloped its angular fingers.
Hum. Hum. Hum. Hum.
Instead of clenching his fist, Baekya opened his palm.
The sensation of wind brushing between his fingers was refreshing.
【Resonance Wave (S+)】
Bzzzzzt—!
Even with the Constellation's support, the mana within his body instantly plummeted to the bottom.
Its power, compared to the past, was like a ripple before a tsunami.
However, the close combat technique utilizing superheated radiation waves and their vibrations was still Baekya's favorite, even now.
And the preferences of the strongest always held value worthy of being chosen by the strongest.
The red energy gathered in front of Baekya's palm undulated as if eager to burst forth.
Intense radiant heat left a comet-like trail behind Baekya.
With the determination to crush the arrogance of the Rock Golem, to punish the ruler of this domain for daring to look down on him, Baekya thrust his fist forward.
Whoosh!
Looking at the Golem's fist, Baekya suddenly remembered his own rank.
'Come to think of it, I'm fighting a B-Rank as a C- Rank.'
When his disciples did that, he had called them crazy.
'Siyeol.'
'Yes.'
'If you want to die, tell me.'
Now, he could somewhat understand their impatience.
'I admit it. It's thrilling to risk your life to reach your goals a little faster, even if it's foolish.'
He pushed his palm, imbued with Resonance Wave, forward.
【Underdog】
【Attack power and armor penetration are increased by 10% against enemies 2 or more ranks higher.】
The final Aitel notification flashed across his vision and disappeared.
Clang!
The Golem's fist and Baekya's palm clashed in mid-air.
Rumble!
Tremendous force and white shockwaves surged, threatening to pulverize Baekya's arm and shoulder.
It was a full-powered strike from the Golem, which had crushed a C-Rank Awakened with a single step.
But that strike was blocked effortlessly, like a child's fist hitting a mountain.
Baekya's figure was reflected in the Golem's crystalline eyes.
Bzzzzzt—!
The heat and color of the Resonance Wave penetrated the Golem's rocky body.
Crack. Shatter!
Thick cracks spread through the crystal connecting the rocks.
"?!"
Just as the Golem was about to let out a roar of surprise—
Crack.
The spreading cracks reached the Golem's jaw, causing it to fall off.
* * *
Boom. Crash!
Landing on the ground, Baekya watched the Golem's massive body crumble.
'I can't believe I struggled even with this.'
Despite achieving a feat that would shock everyone in this Gate, his expression wasn't bright.
His left arm was still trembling.
The 'Hardening' ring he wore on his left middle finger had crumbled without a trace.
If it weren't for that ring, his left arm would have met the same fate.
【"No. You did well enough."】
【"To be honest, I thought you wouldn't be able to win and was imagining a scenario where you'd run away."】
'Constellation!'
Of course, his uncharacteristic gloom didn't last long.
The gap between B-Rank and lower ranks was vast and formidable.
Even with all sorts of traits supporting him, defeating a B-Rank as a C-Rank was something to be proud of.
【'Hardening (B)' acquired.】
【Your body becomes as hard as solid rock, making you impervious to most attacks.】
【Health +100, Strength +75】
As if to praise him, an Aitel notification popped up.
Baekya couldn't believe his eyes.
'This quick?'
He had been planning to hunt at least ten of them…
'The drop rate is this high?'
And the notifications didn't stop there.
【Congratulations.】
【An artifact has been dropped.】
------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
------------------
