Chapter 569. G.o.d of War (3)
Bone Dragon Akite finally made its way out of the giant magic circle. It was so majestic that it even made the Insect Queen, which Rudy had burnt to a crisp, look like a puny bug.
Moreover, Rudy was still in its adult form.
The summoning obviously caused a commotion.
"I-It"s a dragon! A Bone Dragon!"
"Kang Oh called a Phoenix and then a Bone Dragon!"
"Aah, what exactly is Kang Oh? Is he the Legendary Tamer Acasus"s successor!? Tell me!"
The correspondents covering the battle couldn"t help themselves.
"T-This is ridiculous!"
"It"s a bug!"
The Empire"s rankers and soldiers looked like they"d go crazy any second now. Having a Phoenix was bad enough, but he also had a Bone Dragon at his disposal! It was the highest-tier raid monster!
"Hoh!"
It also made Black Wolf, who was considered this era"s greatest Tamer, feel a sense of shame. "What was I doing all this time? I wasn"t able to tame a Phoenix or a Bone Dragon!"
"Uwaaaah!"
"Mr. Kang Oh called a dragon!"
"Kang Oh! Kang Oh! Kang Oh!"
The Alliance"s power houses cheered simultaneously.
It was amazing enough that Bart clenched his fists, and Helena, who always remained calm, cheered out loud.
On the contrary, Kuharap didn"t react to either the Phoenix or the Bone Dragon. He simply overwhelmed Tainos like a true battle junkie.
Dukeram, Erik, Irene, and Kuskal grimaced. They had to fight Kang Oh, a Phoenix, and a Bone Dragon.
To think they"d be up against a Phoenix and a Bone Dragon. That was crossing the line.
Irene quickly shook her head. "No!"
Then, she said, "We can beat a Bone Dragon. It"s not a real dragon! Moreover, Bone Dragons can"t use magic. They"re undead! Just be careful of its Poison Breath."
She was right. Bone Dragons were merely undead beasts made out of dragon bones.
They had been too fearful of it due to its sudden appearance and its ma.s.sive presence.
The Empire"s rankers quickly overcame their fear.
"Plus, he shouldn"t be able to maintain the Phoenix and the Bone Dragon for very long," Irene added.
"You hear that?" Kang Oh stared at Akite.
"That"s funny. They dare call me, the great dragon Akite, an undead?"
Bone Dragon Akite was an incredibly unique existence. It was a dragon that sought immortality, so it voluntarily transformed itself into an undead!
Do you remember the Lich, an undead high-rank mage? Just think of Akite as the dragon version of that.
It could use the magic it"d learned when it was still alive, and it also possessed a very dragon-like arrogance and intellect.
"You have to work for your pay, right?"
"It cost me 1 million gold to summon you. Moreover, you"ll only last 10 minutes. Hurry up, you stupid lizard!"
"It"s been a while since I could go all out!" Akite"s jaw rattled. It seemed like it was smiling!
Whir!
Akite released a ton of pressure from its body. This was called Dragon Fear.
Any who encountered a dragon would instinctively feel fear.
"Ugh."
"L-Let me live."
The Empire"s soldiers suddenly knelt to their knees and shook in fear. There were a ton of them that fainted too. A portion of them fell from the top of the wall.
Whir.
Giant stars appeared around its body.
Star"s Promise!
The glittering stars unleashed powerful rays of light.
Akite, who had already destroyed half of the wall with its giant body, bombarded the surrounding structures.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
"H-Holy s.h.i.+t!"
"Uhahk!"
Kuskal, Dukeram, and Erik threw themselves out of the way.
"It"s using magic?" Irene stepped back in shock. "How exactly is a Bone Dragon using magic? This is impossible!"
She wanted to find Arth"s developer, Dreamgate, and give them a piece of her mind. "This doesn"t make any sense!"
Dukeram deactivated "Invincible Emperor", which depleted his sand soldiers one by one, and then called forth as many sand soldiers as he could muster.
"Attack the dragon!"
2,000 sand soldiers swarmed the Bone Dragon. Immortal soldiers should be able to handle a Bone Dragon, even if it could use magic!
But that was just an unrealistic dream.
"Hoh, this is..." Akite"s purple flames flickered.
There was once an emperor that used this mysterious sand to control time. He had lived for hundreds of years, and had taken control of the entire desert.
Dukeram"s unique cla.s.s, Desert Emperor, had come from him.
However, Akite, in his pursuit of immortality, had extensively studied time magic. He obviously knew about this mysterious sand, as well as the time magic involved.
"Sand that has an immortality curse, huh... It"s been a while."
A giant clock appeared above Akite"s head.
Time Acceleration!
The clock hand turned quickly.
Then, the sand soldiers crumbled into nothingness!
Dukeram widened his eyes.
The Invincible Army was unkillable. That"s precisely why it was called "invincible".
So how...?
He didn"t have the chance to think about it. Kang Oh quickly approached him.
Dukeram had deactivated Desert Emperor, so he was no match for Kang Oh.
Irene urgently supported him from the side, and Kuskal shot an arrow from behind. Erik unleashed wind energy at him.
"We have to take him down no matter what. If we kill him, then the Phoenix and the Bone Dragon will disappear," Dukeram yelled.
"That"s our only option. I"ll call all of the captains." Irene calmly observed Kang Oh and gripped her weapon.
"Hoo." Erik caught his breath and waited for his opportunity.
Then, Sand Giant Sandium appeared.
The Sand Mages were supposed to deal with Violf and Teynos. However, their summoning duration was already up.
"What crude magic," Akite said.
Magic Explosion!
A portion of the magic that kept it together violently clashed.
Boom!
Sandium then exploded.
"Ugh!"
"Uaahk!"
The Sand Mages weren"t in good shape. The mana they"d been providing flowed backwards.
"Die, you monster!"
"Don"t get involved in a battle between humans!"
The Empire"s rankers and their courageous commanders rushed at Akite.
If magic was no use, then they would fight it in melee combat!
The clock above Akite"s head slowly turned counterclockwise.
Eternal Clock.
Their movements slowed like that of a sloth.
Akite raised its front foot and stomped on them as if they were ants.
"Huhahaha, I"m Dragon Akite!" Akite yelled enthusiastically, and then unleashed all manner of magic. It was like a calamity had just been unleashed on the Empire.
Karuuu!
Rudy cried out, and opened its wings.
Sun Wing!
Flaming feathers went everywhere. It was as if a male peac.o.c.k had spread its tail.
Anyone touched by the feathers would be engulfed in flames without exception.
The Empire"s Magic Squad, which was led by Rock, used large-scale magic. Various rocks came flying at it.
Rock Seal!
However, Rudy"s flames intensified, causing even the rocks to burn to a crisp.
At that moment...
Flames appeared underneath the Mage Squad"s feet.
"Get aw..."
It was too late.
Eternal Flame!
A dark red pillar of fire rose from the ground.
"Guaaahk!"
Their screams didn"t last very long. All that remained were their ashes.
Chirp...
Rudy returned to its chick form.
It had destroyed Insectura and its minions, as well as the entire Mage Squad. Rudy didn"t have any strength to spare.
Swish.
Kang Oh appeared in a flash and carefully grabbed Rudy. Then, it turned into an egg and he placed it into his inventory.
"Haahp!"
"Chaaht!"
Dukeram and Erik aimed for his back. Kuskal"s arrow also came flying at him.
Kang Oh quickly twisted his body and simultaneously swung Ubist and Sarahoff. He deflected their attacks with ease.
But then, Irene, Moby d.i.c.k, Ridgeley, Taker, and Black Wolf, who rode on a giant wolf, came rus.h.i.+ng at him from every direction.
All of the captains had appeared, aside from Tainos, who had died in battle against Kuharap.
"Hurry!" Irene yelled.
They had to take Kang Oh out before the Bone Dragon dealt even more damage to their forces. Plus, the Alliance"s powerhouses were sure to come and aid Kang Oh if they gave them too much time.
Flag of Absolute Victory!
A flag of light appeared above her head. Dukeram and her fellow captains glittered like stars.
For 30 seconds, they would be impervious to damage!
"Huaaahk!"
"Die, Kang Oh!"
They simultaneously used their most powerful attacks.
Steel Rain!
Great Wind"s Sword!
Red Demon"s Thorn!
s.h.i.+eld of Divine Punishment!
Demon King Spear!
Reaper"s Arrow!
Combination Attack: Wolf"s Hunt!
A silver meteor shower rained down from above, and a green whirlwind surged from the ground. Taker"s spear, which transformed into a red spike, cut through the air, while Moby d.i.c.k"s s.h.i.+eld glowed with a cross shape.
A demonic spear, as well as a pack of eight wolves, came flying at him too.
Finally, Irene unleashed a mighty aura from her sword. Compared to her peers, her finis.h.i.+ng blow was much weaker.
Kang Oh neither dodged nor backed off. No, there was no reason to do so.
"Dukeram"s worth 600,000, while the rest are worth 300,000 a piece!"
This was his chance to kill them all in one fell swoop!
Kang Oh used everything in his a.r.s.enal.
Ring of Frost + Dragon"s Fury!
Sarahoff unleashed an intense cold; even the air froze. At the same time, a fierce gray energy surrounded him and rose into the air.
Boom! Boom!
The ma.s.sive energies clashed.
However, Dukeram and his captains were impervious to damage right now. They pushed through his attacks and attacked even more fiercely than before.
Switch Blood!
Kang Oh grabbed his snow-white blade in one hand, and his jet-black greatsword in the other.
Blood Emperor + Abyss Predator!
Blood unleashed drill-like red energy. Meanwhile, a torrent of darkness flowed out of his jet-black greatsword.
Kang Oh swung his swords one after another.
Mad Wind"s Sword!
The two disparate energies, blood and darkness, mixed together. The reddish black energy swept through the world.
Boom!
The ma.s.sive, destructive energies clashed! A portion of the wall crumbled.
Kang Oh"s form could be seen amidst the debris.
"There"s no going back!"
"Let"s go!"
Dukeram and his captains, who were safe due to the effects of Flag of Absolute Victory, rushed at Kang Oh from all sides. They unleashed their strongest attacks once more.
Stab!
Taker"s spear made contact with Kang Oh"s flesh. Dukeram"s blade grazed his side, and Erik"s wind energy sliced his earlobe.
"Keep it up!" Irene yelled roughly.
At that moment...
The effects of Flag of Absolute Victory disappeared.
Whir!
An hourgla.s.s appeared above Kang Oh"s head.
Dragon"s Hourgla.s.s!
Kang Oh thrust Blood at Taker, and deflected the remaining captains" attacks with Ubist.
More and more sand dropped from the hourgla.s.s. He had activated his belt"s special ability, reducing the cooldown of all his skills, magic, and item effects!
Kang Oh"s most powerful moves, which he"d just used a second ago, were all ready to go.
Grin.
It was time to eat the prey that"d walked into his jaws of their own volition.
Blood Emperor!
Blood red energy surged from his blade like a fountain. Then, he let go of his blade entirely.
Weapon Bombardment!
This resulted in a vortex of blood.
"Grr!"
Dukeram and Erik moved through the blood red energy. They seemed determined to kill him no matter what.
Kang Oh stabbed Ubist into the ground.
Abyss Predator!
A ma.s.sive amount of darkness exploded like a volcano.
"Kyaahk!" Irene, who was much weaker than the others, was pushed back. Then, Black Wolf and his pet followed.
Dragon"s Fury + Ring of Frost!
Kang Oh used two more abilities one after another; one could crush anything, and the other could freeze anything.
Dukeram couldn"t withstand this any longer. He lowered his body and used Full Heal.
The rest of the captains weren"t faring any better. They protected their bodies and used their survival techniques.
"Ugh!" Kuskal, who tried to sink into the darkness, was shocked to find that his feet were frozen. "d.a.m.n it!"
Left with no other choice, Kuskal erected a Shadow Barrier.
They had absolutely no idea that Kang Oh had done this all on purpose. They were standing in a straight line; their positioning was perfect to kill them all in a single swing.
Kang Oh grabbed Ubist with both hands. This was the first demon sword he"d acquired! Thus, he was the most familiar with it!
"This is the end." Kang Oh swung his sword.
A single line that promised absolute death cut the world in two!
This Divide the Sea was far more refined than the one he"d used against Dukeram.
The slightly slanted line pa.s.sed right through Dukeram and the captains" necks. In exchange, he had used up all of his Stamina. He couldn"t even wriggle his fingers.
Kang Oh plopped onto the ground.
His enemies" bodies collapsed to the ground, their severed heads rolling on the floor.
Kang Oh smiled in satisfaction and fell backwards.
Thud.
At that moment...
Arth"s ranking changed.
[Rank 1] Predator Kang Oh!
Kang Oh had finally reached the peak.
* * *
The Alliance, which had seized Saw Rock Fortress, immediately advanced towards the Empire"s capital, Cain. Cain wasn"t a nigh impregnable, strategic location like Saw Rock Fortress. It was just a giant city.
The Alliance surrounded the city and conquered it within three days. With that, the war was over.
The Empire had lost!
Arabas the 3rd and the Empire Guild were punished for their actions.
However, Dukeram had run away before his capture, so wanted posters with his face were spread all across the continent.
The Arabas Empire was dissolved and the monarchy was put to an end. The desert"s cities became free cities.
The Empire Guild was also dissolved. Its captains and executives were given life sentences and placed in an underground prison.
Cain"s treasure house was opened, and the treasures that the Empire had collected were divided based on one"s contributions during the war.
Kang Oh was given gold and treasure that equated to more than 10 billion gold. He had really hit the jackpot this time.
Of course, it was what he deserved for his part in the war. It was because of him that the Alliance had beaten the Empire.
The G.o.d of War!
That was the new t.i.tle he"d been given.
* * *
There weren"t a lot of places where criminals could hide in Arth. Most of them found themselves in the Shadow World.
Dukeram was the same.
However, he couldn"t let go of his ambition yet.
"I"ll start here! I"ll return stronger than ever! No matter what!"
Unfortunately...
"Hey."
Kang Oh had found him before he could even do anything.
"Why are you here?" Dukeram"s eyes widened and he gripped his sword.
"I"m close to Scapi, the one who manages this place."
Poison Scorpion, Scapi.
Scapi was the only executive of Red Moon that hadn"t been imprisoned. She was currently managing the Shadow World in Red"s place.
She had also been the one who informed him of Dukeram"s presence. After all, there was nothing she could do about Dukeram with her skills.
"Now then, let"s have another bout." Kang Oh grinned.
Dukeram still had a lot of valuable equipment on him. For example, the Invincible Tarsonis Armor, Valhalla"s Necklace, etc.
Dukeram"s face stiffened. However, he wasn"t going to make it easy for him. Of course, thinking that wouldn"t make it any less easy for Kang Oh to kill him.
Sometime later...
Kang Oh picked up the gloves that were part of the Tarsonis armor set.
After that, Kang Oh found Dukeram wherever he hid, and killed him again and again. Scapi had given him her ring, which allowed him to track someone wherever they were.
"Please stop killing me already!" Dukeram screamed. In no time at all, his level had dropped below 400.
"Yeah, no thanks."
Ultimately, Kang Oh took all of Dukeram"s equipment.
And...!
Finally, he brought him to the Security Bureau and collected his bounty.
"You... you b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"
Dukeram was given a life sentence for his crimes. Kang Oh heard his voice on the way out and snickered.
"You sure are like a sweet orange tree."
He just gives and gives.
* * *
With the Empire"s complete defeat, Arth"s ranking had gone through a major change.
Kang Oh a.s.sumed rank 1, and the Master of Gold, w.a.n.g Seo Rim, was rank 2.
Bart and Helena were rank 3 and 4 respectively, and Hernandez and Raon had entered the Numbers once more. Their creased faces finally had a chance to relax.
Arthand, the leader of the Steel Heart Guild, was no exception.
However...!
The lowest seat, rank 9, was taken by an unexpected individual.
Wyvern Master, Sephiro!
Yep, it was him.
There were two simple reasons he had joined the Numbers. First, he had traveled alongside Kang Oh and had improved his skills. Second, he had gotten some unintended help from Kang Oh.
What is that, you ask?
Kang Oh recreated the "Going as Three" guild he"d made in the past.
He had gotten a quest for Rudy, which would reward him with mysterious flames. However, the reward was guild only.
There were only three people in the guild: Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder!
When the Empire Guild was destroyed, the vacancy of strongest guild was surprisingly filled by the Going as Three Guild.
Arth"s rankers were judged based on several factors.
Because he was part of the "strongest" guild now, Sephiro"s rank jumped from 13th to 9th.
Now that he"d joined the Numbers, Sephiro grabbed Waryong and cried tears of joy.
What"s funny was that Waryong was more popular than Sephiro, even after he joined the top echelon of players.
The Flying Dragon Squad, which was part of the Breaker Guild, put pictures of Waryong on Arthtory. Waryong was nicknamed "Wayomi" (cute) due to these photos and was also put in advertis.e.m.e.nts.
Waryong even had action figures made in its image, which sold extremely well. Apparently, children really loved them.
There was no one like Sephiro who understood what it felt like to not be the main character.
* * *
Incheon International Airport.
Spotlights were s.h.i.+ned on Kang Oh, who wore sungla.s.ses.
"You officially accepted a sponsors.h.i.+p from Adidas regarding their luxury sportswear. I heard that that contract is worth the same as soccer player Damon"s. How do you feel about that?"
"I heard that the Breaker Guild has offered you 10 billion to join them. Is that true?"
"I"ve heard rumors that there was a guild overseas, more specifically a Chinese guild that offered you 100 billion."
After he defeated Dukeram and destroyed the Empire, Jae Woo couldn"t go anywhere without people recognizing him.
"d.a.m.n scanned character! Why did I make my in-game character look exactly the same?"
It didn"t matter where he went; people would recognize him. He was way too famous!
"I need to get through. I"m busy."
"Let"s go!"
Jae Woo made his way through the crowd, protected by his bodyguards.
"Please give us an interview!"
"Please!"
"Mr. Kang Oh!"
They were too much.
"Haa." Kang Oh couldn"t help but sigh.
"A superstar. Yeah, that"s me."
"At least tell us this. Why are you going to Paris?" a reporter asked, and unbeknownst to even Kang Oh himself, he smiled.
"To attend a concert!"
* * *
Jae Woo, who"d gone to Europe and seen Soo Ah, returned to Korea and immediately logged into Arth.
Then, he opened the ranking window.
[Rank 1] Predator Kang Oh
He stared at the "1".
Rank 1.
He was the strongest!
It was his dream and his goal. However, he placed his hand on his stomach and rubbed it.
Grumble.
He felt hungry.
Why?
"I still need to kill a dragon and find a way to cure Master Valan."
If you reach the top of a mountain, you may feel the desire to reach the top of an even higher mountain. That mountaintop was gesturing to him, as if saying "come here".
"Fine!" Kang Oh grinned.
He had no intention of stopping here.
Kang Oh had finally achieved a small goal, so now it was time to achieve an even bigger one. He still hadn"t become a Grandmaster, had he?
"Let"s go!"
He took a step forward into the vast world of Arth.