88. Emperor of the Underworld (2)
The Crimson Soiree of the Red-Light District belatedly joined the conflict after everything had been settled.
When they began taking control of Violess—
The thought that arose within the mind of Sarpedon, Ark Master of the Black Grasp, was honestly one of “opportunity”.
The absolute law of Violess was “military strength”.
In that sense, the bloodied man who had defeated the colossal evil threatening Violess deserved to become the city’s absolute authority.
But was it not said that an unknown man would claim the crown amid the ruins of a fallen kingdom?
“But when giants fight, isn’t it always the dwarves who collect the spoils left behind?”
Lyla, Matriarch of the Crimson Soiree, had accurately exploited that opening.
Two giants had fought over supremacy in Violess. One giant had fallen, while the other had exhausted himself.
A wounded ogre.
Just as a pack of courageous wolves could hunt a tiger, a group of trolls could hunt an ogre.
No one could prevail against a mob.
No matter how skilled someone might be, they would eventually become exhausted when attacked by a horde.
Several thousand Visters had gathered here.
Their numbers were comparable to those of an army.
They should have been more than capable of hunting a wounded ogre.
Sarpedon carefully observed the situation and raised the knee he had placed on the ground.
Then—
Whoooooosh—!!!
He saw the man surrounded by rippling dark crimson flames of Aura.
At that moment, Sarpedon immediately understood.
No matter how many trolls gathered to form an army—
BOOM!
They could never hunt a Dragon.
Before anyone realized it, the man had grabbed Lyla by the back of her neck.
He slammed her directly into the ground.
The deeply cratered soil erupted toward the sky and a casual sweep of the man’s hand tore through the landscape.
The resulting shock wave ripped apart the Visters charging toward him.
Only the groans of the fallen remained behind.
“You bastard!!”
“Die!!”
More Visters rushed forward and swung their axes, but the man smoothly twisted his body and kicked the leading Vister in the knee.
Crack!
The Vister’s knee bent backward, sending him crashing to the ground.
Rip!
The chest of the Vister behind him was torn apart, spraying crimson blood in every direction.
There was no mercy in the man’s hands.
Merciless instinct.
Every attack the man unleashed inflicted a critical wound and brought another Vister down.
“Wh-What is this...?!”
“Aaaaaaargh!”
Screams echoed throughout heaven and earth.
The man’s movements were completely invisible.
Nevertheless, the Visters of the Crimson Soiree fell one by one, bleeding as they rolled across the ground.
Some Visters collapsed where they stood and trembled uncontrollably.
Wet puddles formed beneath them, apparently because they had urinated in terror.
The man’s eyes stared at them. They glowed red as though dyed with blood.
The dark crimson Aura covering him burned like flames.
Sarpedon unconsciously swallowed.
That was not….a human. But neither was it a Dragon.
Something that was neither human nor Dragon—
Something that reigned above every living creature.
Sarpedon did not know what it was. That was simply what he felt.
Now—
Not a single Vister from the Crimson Soiree remained standing. All several hundred Visters had collapsed upon the ground.
It had taken only three minutes...?
No, it had not even taken three minutes.
‘....Overwhelming.’
Overwhelming...?
Could that truly be described with a mere word like “overwhelming”?
His strength appeared to exist outside the boundaries of this world.
It was absurd.
Therefore, there was no way to explain it.
The man shook the blood from his hands.
He slowly looked around, turning his gaze toward Sarpedon and the Visters of the Black Grasp—
“Are you going to attack me too?”
Sarpedon immediately threw himself flat against the ground.
“No, sir!!!”
As though even that were insufficient, he repeatedly slammed his head against the ground.
Thud! Thud!
He feared offending the man. Or perhaps he had already offended him.
“How could we possibly attack the Emperor?! Such a thought never crossed our minds, not even for an instant!! We would never dare defy you!!”
He struck his forehead against the ground again and again until it split open.
* * *
....He had lost his reason slightly.
The words were so disgusting that merely thinking about them was irritating, let alone speaking them aloud.
I erased those worthless words from my mind.
Then I looked over the Visters slamming their heads against the ground before me.
‘There aren’t any Acatas.’
The Visters wearing Ashen Masks—
In other words, the Acatas of the Dark Merchant Company were nowhere to be seen.
Apparently, they had been offered as sacrifices for Craulgarr’s Manifestation.
Because Iratum, the original vessel, had been killed by Dragon Rage Explosion [E], additional sacrifices had become necessary.
That meant—
‘Is this finally over?’
Only then could I release the tension I had been holding.
Honestly, I would have been in a difficult position if the Visters of Violess had attacked me.
It was also true that I had been flustered when the Crimson Soiree attempted to seize the opportunity.
Of course, it was not that I had never considered the possibility of the Crimson Soiree making a move.
That was why I had asked Isolde to contact the Eye of the Pilgrim.
However, an unexpected variable arose when Craulgarr manifested.
The situation changed rapidly as a result, and the Eye of the Pilgrim had not yet arrived in Violess.
Isolde and I had become isolated within the city.
Overcoming the situation would not have been easy, but I discovered a breakthrough in an unexpected place.
Craulgarr’s authority, the Source of Wrath.
By consuming it through Predation [S+], I acquired the Transcendent Skill Berserk [?].
◆Berserk [?] : When this skill is used, the player drives their accumulated [Madness] out of control. Through this, the player can temporarily increase the [Rank] of a [Normal Skill], allowing it to be strengthened beyond—or [transcend]—its maximum Rank limit.
The enhanced skill’s [Rank] and [Ability] are amplified according to the amount of [Madness] driven out of control, and an [Additional Effect] suited to its characteristics is granted.
A Transcendent Skill.
Initially, I had not understood what kind of skill it was, but the explanation made it clear.
It was a skill that strengthened an ability or allowed it to manifest power from an entirely new dimension, literally enabling the ability to “transcend” its limits.
The price required for that was [Madness].
Craulgarr had originally used anger, but it appeared to have been converted into “Madness” when absorbed through Predation [S+].
‘Is there any way to check my Madness value...?’
Thinking it might work, I opened Player Information—
==< Player Information >==
[Name]—Adrian White Wolf
[Title]—Master of the Snowy Mountains
[Level]—Level 76
[HP]—9,185
[MP]—0
[Sanity]—107/110
[Stats]—Strength: 81 (+5), Agility: 110.8 (+18.8), Stamina: 95.85 (+16.85), Mana: 11 (+5)
[Experience]—9.33%
<Additional Stat Points: +1>
A new category called [Sanity], which had not existed before, had appeared.
The term referred to my mental state.
Simply put—
‘Does it indicate how completely I can maintain my sanity?’
To put it even more simply, it represented “mental strength”.
In that sense, my maximum mental strength was 110.
‘It seems to be related to my Mana stat.’
It appeared that each point in Mana granted ten points of [Sanity].
My current [Sanity] was 107.
It appeared to represent my Madness value while simultaneously determining the power of Berserk [?].
Therefore, I immediately selected Promote Metabolism [C+]—
◆The Rank of the skill Promote Metabolism [C+] has been increased to [B-].
◆[Additional Efficiency]—The increase to Agility and Stamina rises by an additional [+5%].
◆[Additional Effect]—The heart muscles can be temporarily stimulated to increase the speed of blood circulation.
◆Using the Transcendent Skill Berserk [?].
[Sanity]—107
◆The applied Rank of Berserk [?] is [B-].
◆At this value, the skill capable of transcendence is Promote Metabolism [C+].
This appeared to be the mechanism that determined the Rank of Berserk [?].
A value of 107 corresponded to the [B-] Rank.
Therefore, only Promote Metabolism [C+], which possessed a lower Rank, could be affected.
Its Rank immediately increased by one stage, and both [Additional Efficiency] and an [Additional Effect] were added.
It was a good skill.
It allowed me to transcend skills that had reached their biological limits and could no longer evolve.
That was why it was called a Transcendent Skill.
Even if its effects were only temporary, the Madness value could be replenished by consuming monster hearts through Predation [S+].
Therefore, it could certainly be called a “good” skill.
However—
I was mistaken.
Berserk [?] was not merely a good skill.
It was an absurd skill.
That was because Berserk [?] possessed another true effect.
Combination Skills.
In other words, increasing the Rank of Promote Metabolism to [B-] also affected every “Combination Skill” that used it—
: When this skill is used, the player rapidly increases their heart rate, amplifying the effects of Metabolic Overdrive [U] by [two times]. However, the excessive burden placed upon the cardiovascular system may damage the heart, while intense hormonal secretion risks causing extreme excitement or anger.
<This skill is a Super-Combination Skill that transcends the limits of Metabolic Overdrive [U].>
◆The Combination Skill “Metabolic Overdrive [U]” has transcended its limits!!
Metabolic Overdrive [U], in particular, received the greatest effect and transcended its limits.
◆Accelerated Heartbeat [E]
Its [E] Rank signified Epic.
It possessed the same Rank as Dragon Rage Explosion [E].
In other words, its usefulness rivaled the power of Dragon Rage Explosion [E].
And that was indeed the case.
Explosive speed and enhanced strength.
Hyper-Reflex Mode, which predicted the opponent’s movements.
Wide-Area Awareness, which dramatically improved concentration and allowed me to perceive and react quickly to my surroundings.
Even if only temporarily, I could use abilities that transcended biological limitations.
Furthermore, Berserk [?] could also be applied to Dragon’s Claw [A], Regeneration [B+], Hardened Skin [B], and Nutrient Synthesis [B].
That meant Accelerated Heartbeat [E] was only one of the countless abilities I could transcend.
I could not even imagine what other powers they might manifest. It truly was an ability belonging to an Abyssal Legion Commander.
It was an ability and authority I had not even dared to consume through Predation [S+] in my previous life.
Ian had not been concerned that he would be unable to contain me without reason.
‘It looks like the Sanity value accumulates as Madness.’
In other words, it accumulated whenever I used Predation [S+].
However, there was one unfortunate problem—
‘Its compatibility with Player’s Will is poor.’
Player’s Will [EX] completely reset any Madness that exceeded my mental strength.
That created a system in which [Sanity], the value determining the power of Berserk [?], could not accumulate beyond its limit.
‘Should I invest some points in Mana, then?’
If I increased my maximum [Sanity], I could circumvent the limitation by using Berserk [?] immediately before the reset occurred.
However, Mana was a completely useless stat for me.
I would need to consider ways of utilizing it gradually.
In any case—
I could now say it with confidence.
‘I surpassed him.’
I had surpassed the Predator from my previous life.
Just as I clenched my fist—
“Uuurgh...!”
A groan suddenly reached my ears.
Lyla, who had been slammed into the ground, was slowly pushing herself upright.
‘That’s somewhat surprising.’
I had struck Lyla with strength amplified by Accelerated Heartbeat [E].
Furthermore, I had partially lost my reason at the time.
Every blow had inflicted a critical wound.
As could be seen from the motionless Visters of the Crimson Soiree, I had shown no mercy in my attacks.
Perhaps she truly deserved to be called the Matriarch of the Crimson Soiree.
“U-Uuurgh...!”
She possessed considerable durability.
However, that did not mean she was capable of resisting.
Unable to raise herself properly, Lyla began crawling across the ground.
“S-Sp-Spare me...!”
She instinctively crawled toward Isolde, grabbed her, and began pleading for her life.
She instinctively understood that begging me would not save her.
Isolde silently looked down at Lyla.
Isolde rarely displayed any emotion. However, perhaps it could be called the Aura she projected—
She possessed the presence of a compassionate Saintess.
Isolde truly was a foolish woman who sacrificed herself because she believed she had to embrace everyone.
Therefore, it might have seemed that Isolde would be unable to kill Lyla—
But only someone who did not understand Isolde would say that.
The people Isolde believed she had to embrace were strictly limited to “innocent people”.
She showed not the slightest mercy toward those who had committed crimes.
That was why she had treated the Imperial forces mercilessly and refused even to accept prisoners.
In accordance with her will, the slogan of the Holy Command during the era of the Coalition Forces had been—
[Forgiveness Belongs to God—Kill Them All.]
“God will forgive you.”
The Coalition Forces had a name for such an Isolde.
Crush!
[The Saintess of Judgment].
Granting someone a painless death was the greatest mercy Isolde could offer.
Lyla had exploited women in the Red-Light District. Her crimes were not ones that deserved such instantaneous judgment.
In any case—
No one in Violess could even contemplate attacking me now. The entirety of Violess prostrated itself before me and surrendered.
◆You have completed the Hidden Quest [Perfect Weather for Stirring Up Trouble]!!
A message announcing the completion of the Hidden Quest appeared.
Lyla’s head had been crushed.
Isolde’s judgment had been merciless.
However, I knew—
◆HURRRAAAAAAAAAAAH?!!?!
A translucent message overflowing with excitement filled my vision as though it had been waiting for this moment.
‘What in the world...?’
◆Wait just a moment!!
The message began objecting to something.
◆What do you mean, why am I objecting now?
◆I’m not objecting!!
◆This was merely the buildup to granting you an additional reward!
◆I cannot accept this!
◆The Hidden Quest required the “fall” of Violess, didn’t it?!
◆But who told you to “rule” Violess?!
“What?”
◆You completed it differently from the quest’s stated objective!
◆I cannot acknowledge this!!
◆I refuse to accept it!!
◆You, who fulfilled the quest differently from its stated objective!
◆You, who accomplished an astonishing achievement!
◆How could I possibly grant someone like you only the standard reward?!
◆I cannot acknowledge such a thing!!
◆I refuse to accept it!!
◆And so, here is your spe-cial bo-nus~!
....How did its dramatic overreactions continue evolving with every passing day?
◆Were you surprised?
◆Did your heart just drop?!
◆Were you worried that you might not receive your reward?!
◆If so, then the operation was a com-plete success~!!
◆Oh? Are you perhaps angry?
◆Then, as an apology, I shall grant you the additional reward—the title <Emperor of the Underworld>!!
◆How does that sound?! Is your heart pounding with excitement over the additional reward?!
◆Do you think you might faint from cardiac arrest once you receive the main reward?!
◆If so, take one deep breath!
◆And hurry up and claim the main reward, [Ian’s Journal]!!
‘....Did this thing learn a Transcendent Skill too?’
Something like Berserk Overreaction [?], for example.
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