CH 374

Hu Wei shuddered. Although the man’s face was covered in a black mask, Hu Wei was sure that his expression was frigid. Then, at that moment, the thousands of troops stood up from their kneeling position and answered the man loudly, ‘Yes, sir!’

“The… the Dragon Race…”

“The Dragon Race? Aren’t they a species that hasn’t been revealed nor released to the world yet?”

Athenae housed countless races. The typical ones were the elves, dwarves and humans, but there were also countless others in the wide worldview of Athenae. However, the Dragon Race was an existence that was entirely unfamiliar to everyone. In fact, even ‘Black Dragon’, who appeared as their king, was also unfamiliar with the race.

Still, the knights moved under the orders of their king.

Shwaaaaaaaaa—!

Just like a fluttering swallow, the Dragon Race flew in the sky and swooped among their enemies with their spears.

[Keuaaaaaack!]

[Aaaaaaaaaack!]

Shrieks rang loudly as their spears pierced through their enemies. Along with them, hundreds of men from the Dragon Race held their bows and flew high up in the sky. The moment they let go of the strings…

Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack!

What they released was more like a spear, than an arrow. In fact, when their attacks reached their enemies, it was not so much of sticking to the body, rather, it was the concept of piercing through the body.

[Keheok!]

[Sh…shit…! Their attack power is extremely high!]

The players were helplessly being swept away. Thousands of men from the Dragon Race began to create a path among the tens of thousands of enemy troops. On top of that, the Dragon Race could move freely in the air and wage aerial warfare against them. There were even dozens of men from the Dragon Race that flew swiftly to where Vormon’s Subordinates were, and attacked them until they no longer breathed.

From what they could see, they could estimate that the men from the Dragon Race were around Level 450~500. There were even men from their race that were a cut above the rest. Those that wore a black full-plated armor were faster, stronger, and more experienced in commanding the troops. Then…

“PD Hu!”

…Hu Wei’s attention was once again disrupted by the sudden call of one of the broadcasting station staff. The call immediately brought him back to his senses as he turned to look. That was when he saw the man called ‘Black Dragon’ distributing something to the members of the Let’s Eat Sect Guild. It was none other than ‘rice cake dumpling soup’.

***

The Korean commentators were all shouting in excitement.

[Aaaaaaaah! Black Dragon appears in our most desperate hour!!!]

[Black Dragon came back as a king. The mighty warriors of the Dragon Race are overwhelming the players from Cairon Continent and Vormon’s Subordinates.]

At this very moment, the entire nation was trembling. What about his chuuni lines? They seemed genuinely nice to hear at this very moment! After handing something around to the members of the Let’s Eat Sect Guild, Black Dragon turned around. He slowly moved forward as the men from the Dragon Race swept away the enemies blocking his path. He looked like a true and genuine king, whose knights were moving for his sake alone. Then, Black Dragon began the real sortie.

[Kiyeeeeeeeeeck!!!]

[Kyahaaaaaaaack!!!]

[Graaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!]

[Kiyaaaaaaaaaaack!!!]

The four legendary dragons appeared! They looked completely different from their figures before. Their original scales were now covered with a bright and splendid armor. The whiskers around their mouths had grown longer, while their horns were higher and tougher.

Black Dragon rode on top of Destiny as they soared high up in the sky. Destiny let out his own breath and devastated more than 200 enemy players at one go. The three other dragons also flew up in the sky and surrounded Destiny and Black Dragon. Then, Black Dragon’s wings spread out behind him as he flew on his own. He held his ‘Dragon Tear Sword’ and flew straight towards one of the giant ogres.

Spurt—

Thud—

One of the toughest mobs in terms of skin among Vormon’s Subordinates, had fallen down and collapsed in one attack! Black Dragon stepped on the ogre’s dead body and pulled his bloody sword out, before raising it high up in the sky.

The commentators all over the world began to talk wildly.

[Korea’s Black Dragon easily took down the tough and strong ogre and stepped on its body!]

[Thousands of men from the Dragon Race are marching forward!!!]

[Unbelievable!!! Black Dragon appears and turns the tide of war!!!]

[Right at this very moment, the king of a new species has been born!]

[With their appearance, thousands of players from Cairon Continent are being pushed back from fear.]

[Korea still has some hope left!]

The world’s spotlight was now trained entirely on Black Dragon.

***

The tide of war somehow changed with Black Dragon’s appearance. A small ray of hope was reignited in the hearts of the remaining players in Berdk, amidst their desperate situation.

Broque had acknowledged Black Dragon in the ‘Forgotten Dragons’ Land’. Thanks to the additional quests that he had cleared, Black Dragon was able to increase his power and prestige as the ‘Dragon Monarch’ even further. The additional power was none other than the strengthening of the four legendary dragons, and the command of the 4,000-strong Dragon Race troops.

Black Dragon had been in contact with Minhyuk before he came to Berdk, and had received the rice cake dumpling soup from his son. After meeting up, Minhyuk immediately headed to the Korean Defense Base, while Black Dragon came to Berdk.

However, it was not just the players of the Cairon Continent that he needed to keep at bay and push back, even though their numbers were far superior to his side at the moment.

“Harpoons!!!” Xu Jiaqi ordered loudly, as the harpoons fired and pierced through the bodies of the men of the Dragon Race flying in the sky. The moment they got hit by the attack, the players joined forces and pulled them down.

“Kiyeeeeeeeeck!!!”

The players struggled as they cooperated to hunt the men of the Dragon Race with their harpoons.

The estimated level of the men of the Dragon Race was around Level 450~500. Dozens of the men of the Dragon Race needed to cooperate together to deal with Vormon’s Subordinates, an existence that the Korean rankers could not deal with at all. On top of that, their numbers were already smaller to begin with.

Crack—

Xu Jiaqi reflected one of the arrows back to the Dragon Race that sent it to her, effectively making the flying Dragon Race fall. She ordered, “Attack the men of the Dragon Race wearing full plate armor. The men of the Dragon Race will also be incapable of dealing you once they started dealing with Vormon’s Subordinates, so deal with them by then.”

Xu Jiaqi did not lose her calm. Although the men of the Dragon Race were far stronger than ordinary players, they had no numerical advantage. Besides, even if that was not the case, they were not armed to deal with the Chinese rankers in the first place. On top of that, Vormon’s Subordinates had high defenses. Although they had slowed down in their march for a moment, the players of Cairon Continent were already starting to push forward once again.

‘We’re going to win the war anyway. The road to get there just became a bit tougher, that’s all.’

Xu Jiaqi grinned maliciously as the Chinese rankers began their slaughter of the men of the Dragon Tribe. Compared to them, the enemies did not have any powerful rankers that they needed to take note of. That was when she suddenly started becoming suspicious.

‘…What the hell? Where did Genie and the members of Let’s Eat Sect Guild go?’

Just when she started getting suspicious, a man suddenly jumped up high in the sky. The man was none other than Khan. Xu Jiaqi laughed mockingly when she saw Khan flying up in the sky.

‘It seems like the dying man is now filled with energy.’

Xu Jiaqi was aware that it was only because of Black Dragon that these people had escaped their deaths, even if for a while. It seemed like they had appeared again after hiding somewhere for a moment to recover.

However, something very surprising happened not long after. Khan’s entire body was covered in a dazzling golden light. He headed straight towards the ground, with his legs aimed for his enemies.

[Giant’s Consecutive Kicks]

Khan’s foot turned gigantic as he let out dozens of kicks in succession. They were so powerful that it looked like bombs have fallen on the places that they landed on.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang—!

More than 70 players disappeared from his kicks. But Khan did not stop. He kicked his foot on the ground and sent out a powerful blow towards the ogre blocking the path upfront.

Baaaaaaang—

The ogre, whose skin was as tough as steel, fell down and died from the powerful blow that made its chest collapse.

“…!”

Xu Jiaqi looked at the scene incredulously while thinking, ‘How, how in the world…?’

She had clearly seen Khan on the verge of death just a few moments ago, but the attack that he sent just now that killed the ogre was just a…

‘Basic attack…?’

Xu Jiaqi could clearly see that it was just a basic attack. It was just a simple swing of Khan’s fist.

‘No. That’s definitely not a basic attack. I’m sure that’s a power jab skill.’

However, something more surprising happened.

Craaaack—

Crack—

Baaaaaaang!

The players that received Khan’s kicks and punches all fell down and died. Khan even pierced through the throngs of players with his dazzling kick. A jump and kick to one of the players’ faces, and the player was forced to log out.

Among the players was the ‘Warrior’ Liu Yuan. Liu Yuan had suffered from immense shame during this encounter. For one, he was accompanied by hundreds of players. Of course, this fact remained true. The players of Cairon Continent far surpassed the players of Asgan Continent in numbers. And there was also the fact that Khan was gobsmack in the middle of his enemies.

“What nonsense,” Liu Yuan mocked as he gently crossed his fists in front of him to defend against Khan’s fists. But then…

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud—

“Ah…?”

Khan clearly did not use any skills, but Liu Yuan could hear his bones thumping and cracking from the force of his fists. Then, Khan flew high up in the sky again.

“How dare…”

Liu Yuan thought that Khan would use his skill. Just when he tried to cast his skill to defend and respond to Khan…

Craaack—

…Khan’s foot once again appeared and made contact with his chin.

“Keheok!”

[Your HP has fallen below 50%.]

“What… what kind of bullshit…!” Liu Yuan was completely shocked, wondering what skill Khan used. As he pondered about this question, Khan had already penetrated through his defenses and raised his foot strongly.

[Giant’s Upper Kick]

Baaaaaaaaaam—

“Keuaaaaaaack!”

Liu Yuan screamed as he flew back from the impact of the attack. He was then met with a black screen the moment he landed on the ground. Liu Yuan, one of China’s top rankers, died helplessly under the onslaught of Khan’s attacks.

As for Khan’s secret?

[You have eaten the Rice Cake Dumpling Soup made from the Leftover Marrow Bone Broth.]

[Your HP and MP will increase by 1.5x.]

[Your Skill Cooldown will decrease by 50%.]

[During the duration of the buff, you can use the ‘Giant Arts’ that you are currently learning.]

[Your Physical Attack has increased by 60%.]

[Your Skill Attack has increased by 30%.]

[Your Critical Hit Rate has increased by 300%.]

[Your Critical Hit Attack has increased by 300%.]

[Your Evasion Rate has increased by 300%.]

[Your EXP Acquisition Rate has increased by 300%.]

[All of the skills in your repertoire will exert more power than usual.]

[The buff will last for three days.]

Unlike Ali, Khan’s buffs were focused more on his physical attack. Right now, the Level 520 Khan’s physical attack power had increased by 60%. In other words, Khan’s basic attack had reached the level of someone at Level 800.

Khan wandered around the battlefield and began slaughtering their enemies.

[Player Khan has started hunting the Chinese players.]

[That tactic is correct. He can minimize the damage to the Dragon Race if he can break and kill off the Chinese rankers.]

[Ace and Ascar have also become stronger. The two of them have begun hunting Vormon’s Subordinates! Ah! That’s surprising. Ace and Ascar can now hunt Vormon’s Subordinates in one move!]

[What in the world happened in that short period of time?]

In fact, that was what Xu Jiaqi wanted to ask.

‘If the rankers die, then those that are taking the lead in keeping the men of the Dragon Race in check will be in trouble…’

Xu Jiaqi finally felt the urgency of the matter. But just when she was about to move…

Shwaaaaaaa—

…a huge whip struck her. Xu Jiaqi could tell who the owner of the whip was. It was none other than Genie.

Xu Jiaqi smirked.

‘How dare this Genie girl…’

Genie was the former master of Legend Guild. However, the level of her force was in the lower ranks among the members of Legend Guild. She would not dare to do anything to someone like Xu Jiaqi, who had awakened the Pinnacle.

A huge mirror appeared in front of Xu Jiaqi as she used her Pinnacle Reflection skill. Red lava was gushing out and splattering about from Genie’s whip. Once this attack got reflected, it would become a weapon that Xu Jiaqi could use. Then, the mirror and the whip collided.

Thwack—

“…?”

Xu Jiaqi tilted her head in confusion for a moment. The sound that rang from her mirror was not the sound of the skill being sucked inside. And not long after…

Crack, crack, crack—

…cracks started to appear on her mirror.

[You have failed to reflect the attack.]

[You cannot reflect this skill.]

Along with the terrifying notification, Genie’s whip slammed hard onto Xu Jiaqi’s body.

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaang—

An explosion rang loudly in the area within a 30 meter radius. Lava spurted out from the cracked ground and burned the surroundings. Once the explosion died down, they were met with the horrible sight of the melting Xu Jiaqi, who’s HP was down to 5%. Xu Jiaqi staggered and asked with wide eyes, “How, how…?”

Genie swung her whip once again, until Xu Jiaqi’s HP fell down to zero. Then, she answered, “It’s a meal power-up. B*tch!”